A care worker died after suffering an asthma attack as she fled a gang of youths in Northern Ireland.
Anu Okusanya, 46, became unwell and died in Newryjust days after her family said she witnessed a gang of young people attacking another person near her home.
She ran away from the group into a neighbour’s home but as she went into the house, she had an asthma attack which led to multiple heart attacks. Anu’s brother, Gbenga Oluwasanya, told BBC News NI she ran in fear as she had been previously attacked twice in the same area. He said: “Words cannot describe what we are feeling right now.”
The PSNI said officers performed CPR and applied a defibrillator to try and save Anu who became unwell after having “witnessed an altercation” in Newry on August 24.
District Commander for Newry, Mourne, and Down Supt Norman Haslett said: “She was taken to hospital but sadly passed away some days later. Our enquiries have established that this verbal altercation involved a number of individuals to which Anu was a witness but not directly involved.”
Supt Haslett sent his “sincerest condolences” to her family and friends, adding that anyone with more information should contact the police. Gbenga said his sister moved to Northern Ireland more than a year ago from Nigeria to work in the health sector, adding she had finished a 12-hour shift on the night of the incident.
She called the police after witnessing an attack walking home from work on August 24, Belfast Live reports. He said: “She ran into a neighbour’s house just to take cover. As she came in, she couldn’t say anything; she was gasping for breath.” Police arrived within a few minutes and saw Anu struggling to breathe, Mr Oluwasanya added.
He said she had been frightened after being attacked in June when a boy threw liquid over her while she was walking on the street in “broad daylight”. Mr Oluwasany continued: “So they were known to her, and that’s why she knew she had to run to protect herself.”
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