A nurse killed her two-year-old daughter before taking her own life by injecting drugs she took from the hospital where she worked, an inquest heard. NHS worker Shiwangi Bagoan, 25, stole the drugs from the hospital where she worked after being suspended following a misconduct investigation, the hearing was told.
The mum-of-one, who worked in the operating theatre at University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in central London, was found dead alongside her daughter, Ziana, in her flat in Hounslow, west London, on December 14, 2020. It is believed that Shiwangi and Ziana had died some time on December 11, but were not found for another three days, police said.
Officers deemed the circumstances they were found as suspicious and murder detectives launched an investigation. Investigators determined Shiwangi used her knowledge of medical procedures to administer strong sedatives to Ziana, before taking her own life.
Notes found at the scene also corroborated this finding, according to the Met Police. The investigation found no evidence of anyone else being involved in their deaths, police added.
An inquest into the deaths at West London Coroner's Court recorded verdicts of suicide and unlawful killing. The anaesthetist's assistant stole the drugs in the middle of the night that she later used to kill herself and her toddler daughter, the hearing was told.
Jassumati Lalu, Ziana's grandmother, found the pair after not hearing from Shiwangi for a number of days. They both had cannulas - tubes used to administer medication into the veins - in their arms in Shiwangi's bedroom just after 4pm.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, but both were pronounced dead. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Shirley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This is a truly tragic case and my thoughts are with Shiwangi and Ziana’s family as they continue to come to terms with what has happened.
“They have suffered a terrible loss in unimaginably difficult circumstances. We will never fully know what led Shiwangi to do what she did. It is clear that mental ill health must have played a significant role.
“As police officers we know all too well the scale of the mental health challenge in our communities and we see the impact it has on those who are suffering and on their families and loved ones. If you are struggling, having thoughts of harming yourself or others, or just need to talk, there is help out there. Please ask for it.”
At the time, the Trust where she worked described Shiwangi as a "highly valued member of our team" who will be "missed by her colleagues".
