Raymond Bernard, who died on the top floor of Grenfell Tower surrounded by people who had sought refuge in his flat, has been remembered as a hero by his family.

On the seventh and final day of commemoration hearings at the inquiry into the fire, Bernadette Bernard paid tribute to her brother, who lived on the 23rd floor of the building.

Born in rural Trinidad, Bernard came to England in 1969 aged 15, went to school in Ladbroke Grove, west London, and left to take up an apprenticeship as an electrician at the House of Lords. He later worked at Buckingham Palace.

Known affectionately as Moses, he also ran a reggae sound system and nightclub in nearby Shepherd’s Bush. He was a keen follower of the West Indies cricket team.

“Ray was a kind, gentle, compassionate man, a leader and adviser,” his sister said.

“He always said life is too short, try and be happy. He had lived on the top floor of Grenfell for over 30 years where he tragically lost his life.”

Seven bodies were found in his flat. “There was no way down, so the only alternative for many [in the fire] was to head up to the top floor. There they met Ray and took refuge in his flat,” Bernadette Bernard said.

Raymond Bernard

Several of them were found lying on his bed. “He was resting beside the bed. Ray was probably the last to die. He was the strongest. He would have been so alone. We know he was a hero on that tragic night,” she said.

Bernadette Bernard said one of her daughters raced down to the tower on the night of the fire: “She stood outside the tower, watching the demonic inferno engulfing the building, feeling helpless and weeping – not knowing what to do.

“He did not deserve to die in that way.” Only 30% of his body was recovered from the ruins of the tower, she added: “Where there is no justice, there will be no peace. I will never forget, I will never forgive.”

The commemoration hearings were suspended for an hour during the afternoon after an elderly relative of the Choucair family collapsed during a video tribute to the six members of her family who died in the fire. Men were asked to leave initially after paramedics needed to remove the woman’s veil to give her treatment. She later left the hall to receive further medical care.



Hamdan El Alami then told the inquiry about his daughter, Farah Hamdan, who died in her flat with her husband, Omar Belkadi, and their children Malak and Leena.



The family were originally from Morocco. Farah was a teacher, a religious person and wore respectful clothing, he said. She was born in London and lived in Kensington and Chelsea all her life.

Farah Hamdan, who had three children, had lived in Kensington and Chelsea all her life. Photograph: Handout

“Death has separated us and it has left me torn into pieces,” he added.

Nazanin Aghlani, whose mother, Sakineh Afrasiabi, died in her flat on the 18th floor, said she had not wanted to live in the high-rise building.

Afrasiabi, originally from Iran, came to the UK in 1997 and worked in a local nursery as a cook.

Partially sighted and diabetic, Afrasiabi needed support to walk and had been advised in 2003 that she should not be allocated council property above the fourth floor.

“The move to Grenfell was out of desperation,” Aghlani said. “She was very upset. She hated the flat at first.

“It was a home she wanted to get away from. She was a vulnerable disabled person.”

Eventually, she decorated the flat and turned it into a home. But, Aghlani added, “we came to the conclusion” that it was a failure of the duty of care by the housing department, which placed her in danger by allocating her an inappropriate flat.

“Her human rights were denied,” Aghlani said. “It was gross criminal negligence.”

Among those in the audience on Wednesday were Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, and the leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, Elizabeth Campbell.

At the end of the commemoration session, the names of all 72 victims were read out by Bernard Richmond QC. He told the inquiry the hearings were about ensuring the victims were not just names on pieces of paper or numbers on a screen.

“Their lives are not defined by the manner of their death,” he said. “They were people with hopes and dreams, problems, likes, dislikes, friends and maybe even enemies. It’s only against the background of such knowledge that many of us can begin to understand what happened on that dreadful, dreadful night. It has been heart-breaking and uplifting.It leaves in me an indelible mark … and we feel privileged to have listened.”

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the retired judge chairing the inquiry, said in his closing statement that he had heard many moving descriptions of those who continue to be missed.

“The past few days have been both humbling and moving,” he said. “I’m struck forcibly by both the courage of those young and old who have found the strength to speak about their loved ones with such depth of feeling.

“It’s difficult for those of us who have not suffered such bereavement of a close relative or friend in such circumstances [to understand] but it’s the love that has shone through all of these memorials and had been profoundly affecting.

“As we now move to the next stage of the inquiry, we are determined to find the answers they seek.”

