Youngest victim’s photo shared in Grenfell tribute

TRAGEDY: Inquiry into blaze disaster also hears final recorded words of father who knew there was no way out of tower block

The final recorded words of a father killed in the Grenfell Tower fire and a picture of its youngest victim were shared by grieving relatives as the public inquiry into the disaster began.

Six days of tributes from friends and families of the blaze’s 72 victims are taking place before Sir Martin MooreBick’s probe begins hearing evidence next month.

Almost one year on, the bereaved laid bare the terrible human cost of the tragedy in a series of “pen portraits”, reducing many in attendance at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, South Kensington, to tears.

Sir Martin, a retired Court of Appeal judge, thanked the families for their moving tributes at the end of the first day, saying: “They are extremely impressive presentations and they bring to life again the people that you are commemorating and I’m very grateful to have had a chance to see and hear them.”

Stillborn baby Logan Gomes, the youngest victim of the June 14 inferno last year, was the first of six victims to be remembered.

His family had escaped from the 21st floor of the west London block.

Father Marcio Gomes paid tribute and a picture of the infant’s body, swaddled in a blanket and held by his mother, was shown on a screen.

Mr Gomes said: “He might not be here physically but he will always be here in our hearts, and will be forever. I know he’s here, with God, right next to me, giving me strength and courage to take this forward.”

A voice trapped in the tower was also aired for the first time yesterday morning, one of several moments that counsel to the inquiry Bernard Richmond QC warned could be painful.

Mohamed Amied Neda, a proud father of one who fled persecution at the hands of the Taliban to find a new home in Britain, was honoured by his brother, wife and son.

A picture was painted of a diligent, hard-working family man, who rose from being a pizza delivery driver to the head of his own chauffeur company.

Mr Neda’s final recorded words, sent to loved ones as he was trapped in the burning block, were played to the room.

The 57-year-old, also known as Saber, was heard saying, stoically: “Goodbye, we are leaving this world now, goodbye.”

His wife and son were left in a coma by the fire.

Also remembered was Denis Murphy, a 56-year-old father who was hailed as his family’s “lynchpin”.

A “recovered handful of coins” are the only possessions his loved ones have left, sister Anne-Marie Murphy said.

“So poignant to us, as he would give you his last pennies to you if you ever needed them.”

Many of the tributes were applauded by those gathered at the hearing.

The son of 69-year-old Joseph Daniels, introduced only as Sam, spoke with brevity and power, requesting no applause.

Of his father, who had lived in Grenfell Tower since 1982, he said: “The events of that night took his life and all traces of his existence from this world.

“He stood no chance of getting out and this should never have happened.”

Mother and daughter Mary Mendy and Khadija Saye were the final victims remembered.

The family of Ms Mendy, 54, and artist Ms Saye, 24, said there would be two empty chairs for every birthday, Christmas and New Year celebrated without them.

The Grenfell fire represented tragedy on an almost unimaginable level. A total of 72 people lost their lives and the sometimes fractious exchanges between those most intimately involved and elected representatives has been troubling to witness.

However, it is to be hoped the inquiry which began yesterday will draw a veil over those unsavoury scenes and ultimately provide some of the answers and closure the relatives of those lost so desperately need.

It is likely to be a lengthy and very costly affair.

The decision to give a platform to the grieving relatives of each of the 72 victims of the blaze will ensure the inquiry is so much more than a cold, calculating appraisal of the facts.

There may well be those who question the process. Yet, while the focus must be on finding the truth, the opportunity afforded to those crippled by grief to speak out in such a public forum is surely to be welcomed.

Doubtless, lessons will need to be learnt and while the moving stories and tributes to those lost will perhaps do little to aid understanding of the reasons behind the tragedy itself, the testimony will play a crucial role in the grieving process — and help to bring home the full implications of such an occurrence.

It will thereby do much to help ensure such an appalling tragedy is never repeated.

Picture: Getty. Images of those who died in the Grenfell fire disaster displayed in Parliament Square.