A 13 year-old girl with a severe dairy allergy may have been served with hot chocolate that was made with cows’ milk after a possible “miscommunication” of the order, an inquest has heard. Hannah Jacobs, who had been allergic to dairy products, along with fish and eggs, since she was a toddler, died within hours of taking one sip of the drink on February 8 2022, East London Coroner’s Court was told. Urmi Akter took the order for the takeaway drinks from Hannah’s mother Abimbola Duyile who has previously told the hearing that her “anger gave way to terror” after her child’s reaction to the drink.
Ms Akter used her legal right, under coroners’ rules, not to answer a series of questions that could be seen as incriminating as she gave evidence at the inquest on Tuesday. They related to her training, understanding, knowledge and actions as she was being given the order. The court has heard that Hannah suffered an “immediate reaction” after a just one sip of the takeaway drink that her mother bought before attending a dentist appointment at 11am.
Hannah was declared dead by 1pm that day, her family’s lawyers said. The inquest has heard there is a factual dispute about the order and Ms Duyile says she asked for two soya hot chocolates and asked staff to thoroughly clean the equipment. Ms Akter, who had worked at the Costa Coffee franchise in Barking for about eight months, told the court she could hear and see Ms Duyile “clearly” as she served her at the .