A Coventry mother has described her devastation after thieves targeted her baby daughter's grave, stealing sentimental items and leaving the plot in disarray. Courteney Alikhan, 27, lost her daughter Avayah-Laylah in May 2025 after suffering a life-threatening placental abruption at 36 weeks pregnant. The family has since maintained an elaborate decoration scheme at Canley Garden Cemetery and Crematorium, but on July 26, 2026, they discovered the grave had been vandalised and items stolen.
Courteney, who lives in Coventry with her husband Nadeem Alikhan, 29, and their eldest daughter Aaliyah, 10, said she was "heartbroken" to see the damage. Among the items taken were a pair of sister statue figures, a tiger figurine the family called the grave's guard dog, and several artificial roses. The thieves also pulled out lights and ornament ducks, leaving the plot in a mess. The following morning, when the couple returned to collect the remaining decorations, they found more items, including a collection of ducks, had been stolen overnight.
Petition for CCTV at Canley Crematorium
In response, Courteney has launched two petitions—one on Coventry City Council's website and another on Change.org—calling for CCTV cameras to be installed at the cemetery. She said the fear of further theft has made grieving even harder. "It's bad enough that other bereaved families and I have to go there to visit our loved ones," she said. "But to be going there with the fear of being targeted by thieves? That makes grief way more difficult than it needs to be."
Courteney reported the theft to West Midlands Police, but the case was concluded due to insufficient evidence, pending any further information. A police spokesperson said: "We're investigating a report of theft after items were stolen from a grave at Canley Garden Cemetery and Crematorium on July 25. Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to get in touch via live chat on our website quoting crime reference 20/342694/26."
Heartbreaking loss and elaborate tributes
Courteney's pregnancy with Avayah-Laylah was fraught with complications. After learning she was pregnant in September 2024, she and Nadeem were "really excited but quite scared" due to her history of multiple miscarriages. Throughout the pregnancy, she experienced discomfort in her side, swelling in her legs and feet, and a persistent cough requiring constant antibiotics. On May 2, 2025, she woke up feeling unwell, and within minutes, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Nadeem rushed her to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, where she suffered a "massive haemorrhage" in the car.
Doctors performed an ultrasound within half an hour of her arrival, which confirmed the baby had died. Due to a blood loss of an estimated 2.2 litres—anything over two litres is considered life-threatening—surgeons performed a laparotomy and cesarean section under general anaesthetic. Courteney woke up in the intensive care unit hours later. She recalled: "I kept asking where my daughter was, and in my mind, I actually thought that she was still alive."
Ongoing fear and need for safety
The couple spent five days in hospital with Avayah-Laylah, cuddling her and taking photos before her funeral on June 6, 2025. She was buried at Canley Garden Cemetery and Crematorium, and Courteney has since decorated the grave with seasonal displays, including pink pumpkins for Halloween, a giant pink Nutcracker soldier for Christmas, and an inflatable number one on what would have been her first birthday. Courteney said she wants the decorations to be "as big as possible" and visible from the road.
Now, the grave is bare except for four lights, as Courteney said she is "petrified" of further theft. She said: "I cried for about three days – all day, all night. I was heartbroken and I'm still heartbroken. You must be very disturbed to go that low because I can't imagine what it's like to have a mind that cruel." Courteney emphasised that the stolen items have deep sentimental value, not monetary worth. "They're not things that people would see as valuable money-wise, but to me they have sentimental value," she said. She added that decorating the grave is her way of caring for her daughter: "If she was here, she'd have nice hair, she'd have nice clothes, nice shoes, nice toys, a nice room. To me, that is her room and that's her forever bed."
