A 23-year-old man from Northern Ireland died after falling five floors from a residential building in London while checking to see if his pizza delivery had arrived, his family said.
Joshua Robbins fell to his death on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at around 8:30pm at Thurston Dwellings on Newton Street in Holborn. His parents said he heard his flat buzzer ring and went onto the communal landing to check if his food order had arrived. As he leaned over the railing, it gave way, and he plunged five floors, dying on impact.
In a joint statement, his parents Fiona Garrett and Will Robbins said their son did not climb or behave recklessly. “This is not an allegation or speculation. The railing gave way,” they said. “Our son did not climb it or behave recklessly. A safety barrier that was meant to prevent a fall gave way, with catastrophic consequences.”
Will Robbins, who was living with Joshua at the time, witnessed the immediate aftermath of his son’s fall. The family described him as deeply traumatized by what he saw, something they said no parent should ever have to experience.
The Metropolitan Police were called to Newton Street, WC2, following reports of a fall from height. Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service, who treated the 23-year-old man. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin were informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The Met Police said the circumstances surrounding his death remain under ongoing investigation.
Robbins originally moved to London from Claudy, Co Derry, Northern Ireland, ten years ago. His parents paid tribute to him as a happy, go-lucky young man who loved life. He enjoyed playing games online with friends and staying connected to people wherever he was. Growing up in Claudy, he loved the atmosphere at the GAA pitch, his parents said. Though he did not play for a team, that never stopped him being the best supporter.
His parents described him as kind, funny and charismatic. “He had a smile that lit up every room and was widely described as kind, funny, and full of charisma, with impeccable manners and an ease with people that made him instantly likeable,” they said.
Pictures from the scene appear to show the fifth floor balcony missing a guard rail. Wooden boarding has been erected following the incident, apparently as a safety measure to prevent another tragedy. The building is a Victorian-era tenement that was converted into apartments in the 1980s.
The family is now seeking answers about safety checks at the property. The parents are asking when the railing was last inspected, what maintenance records exist, whether any concerns were raised about corrosion or structural integrity, and what steps were taken to ensure residents’ safety.
The Holland and Thurston Dwellings are owned by Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, known as ISHA. The organization is a small landlord based in Finsbury Park, with around 2,500 homes across north and east London. The constituency includes the area represented by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Pippa Fleetwood-Read, Chief Executive at ISHA, expressed condolences to the family. “The death of Joshua Robbins is deeply saddening, and everyone at ISHA sends our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time,” Fleetwood-Read said. The organization confirmed it is fully cooperating with police and their investigation, but said it would be inappropriate to comment further until the full facts surrounding the incident have been established.
The family is being supported by The Katie Trust, a charity that supports families affected by sudden deaths. The organization provides assistance to families dealing with sudden, unexplained or traumatic losses, helping them navigate the complex aftermath of such tragedies.
In their statement, the parents expressed their devastation at the loss. They said they should not be planning a cremation or waiting for pathology reports. They should not be writing statements or trying to navigate trauma and bureaucracy at the same time, yet that is the situation they find themselves in.
The family emphasized they are not seeking to prejudice any investigation or legal process. They want transparency, accountability and the truth about what happened. They said they are seeking answers not only for Joshua, but so that no other family ever has to endure this pain.
The incident has raised concerns about building safety standards in converted residential properties. Victorian-era buildings that have been converted into modern apartments often present unique maintenance challenges, as they were not originally designed with contemporary safety standards in mind. Communal landings and shared spaces in such buildings require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure railings, balustrades and other safety features remain structurally sound.
Balcony and railing failures in residential buildings, while relatively rare, have led to fatal incidents in the past. Building codes and safety regulations in the United Kingdom require landlords and housing associations to maintain properties to specific standards, including ensuring that barriers designed to prevent falls are properly maintained and regularly inspected. The responsibility for such maintenance typically falls to the property owner or management organization.
Housing associations like ISHA are regulated bodies responsible for providing affordable housing across the UK. They are required to maintain their properties to certain standards and conduct regular safety inspections. When incidents occur that suggest potential safety failures, investigations typically examine maintenance records, inspection schedules and whether proper procedures were followed.
The location of the incident, in the Holborn area of central London, places it within a busy urban environment where many converted Victorian buildings house residents. The area has a mix of commercial and residential properties, many of which date back to the 19th century and have undergone various renovations and conversions over the decades.
The investigation by the Metropolitan Police will likely examine the physical evidence from the scene, including the failed railing itself, to determine what caused it to give way. Such investigations typically involve structural engineers who can assess whether the failure was due to poor maintenance, corrosion, structural defects or other factors. The findings will be important not only for understanding what happened in this specific case, but potentially for identifying whether similar risks exist in other parts of the building or in comparable properties.
For families dealing with sudden, traumatic deaths, organizations like The Katie Trust provide crucial support during an extraordinarily difficult time. These charities help families navigate the complex processes that follow such incidents, including dealing with police investigations, coroner inquiries, and the practical arrangements that must be made while coping with grief and trauma.
The family’s call for transparency and answers reflects a broader need for accountability in cases where deaths occur in circumstances that suggest potential safety failures. When someone dies in what appears to be a preventable accident, families often seek not just to understand what happened to their loved one, but to ensure that lessons are learned and changes made to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Sources:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/horror-man-plunged-death-looking-36665172
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/landlord-of-london-block-where-man-fell-to-death-co-operating-with-investigation-as-family-demand-answers-95743
https://www.thesun.ie/news/16485302/man-plunged-death-railing-broke-pizza-arrived/
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/parents-call-for-answers-after-derry-man-who-loved-life-falls-to-death-from-fifth-floor-of-apartment-block-M5ZKPJ2CIBAFRLUFAQFLTBP47I/