Archie Battersbee: Mum tells inquest his death was an accident

The parent of Archie Battersbee has told his inquest that she believed his decease was accidental.

Archie, 12, died successful August erstwhile his beingness enactment was withdrawn pursuing his parents' ineligible conflict with the NHS infirmary treating him.

He was recovered unconscious astatine the household location successful Southend, Essex, connected 7 April past twelvemonth by his mother, Hollie Dance.

The tribunal besides heard grounds Archie had shared messages with others discussing self-harm and suicide.

Ms Dance told Essex's elder coroner Lincoln Brookes that she was unaware of the messages.

Asked however she thought her lad died, she told the inquest connected Tuesday: "I deliberation helium climbed connected the banister and astir apt fell, causing superior wounded to his neck, resulting successful unconsciousness."

She added that Archie "thought helium was the adjacent Spider-Man" and would often ascent connected things.

It was her belief, she said, that Archie's decease was an "accident".

Mr Brookes said: "The constabulary recovered helium had shared immoderate thoughts with others online oregon successful a WhatsApp group. How were you erstwhile you work that?"

Ms Dance replied: "Heartbroken, precise surprised... if determination were immoderate marks connected his assemblage I would person seen them."

She besides told the inquest Archie was the "apple of my eye", "well-loved" and "protected".

Ms Dance described uncovering her son's assemblage earlier moving extracurricular and screaming for help.

She said: "I was crying hysterically, I was saying 'please don't permission mummy, I emotion you small man'".

"I repeated that implicit and over, I conscionable didn't privation him to permission me."

Joseph Norton, successful a written connection to the court, said helium was successful his mother's garden, adjacent to Archie's household location erstwhile helium heard shouting and thought idiosyncratic had been stabbed.

He said: "I heard a scream, a startling benignant of shriek that alarmed me."

Mr Norton, who carried retired CPR connected Archie earlier ambulance crews arrived, said the lad looked "pale" and his lips were turning bluer.

Ms Dance had raised concerns astir the mode her lad was carried into the ambulance, saying helium was "carried retired by his ankles... similar cattle, not my small boy".

When asked astir this by the coroner, an attending paramedic said she did not deliberation a cervix brace was "applicable", adding: "When we moved him from the spot we ensured everyone was inactive supporting him."

She added determination were nary evident signs of "massive trauma".

Ms Dance told the inquest her lad had been affected by the separation of his parents and had been bullied astatine school, starring to him being removed from mainstream education.

He loved gymnastics and mixed martial arts, with his archetypal combat scheduled weeks aft helium was injured, an lawsuit helium was "looking guardant to".

Family members had told her "he wasn't down, conscionable a spot bored", successful the weeks earlier the incident.

Ms Dance has antecedently feared helium whitethorn person been taking portion successful an online situation and suffered encephalon damage.

"I inactive don't cognize if Archie was trying the blackout situation connected April 7 oregon before, I inactive don't cognize what helium was watching connected TikTok," she said.

She added: "He hated bullying and large shouting. I tin spot that helium mightiness perchance beryllium influenced, adjacent though helium knew close from wrong, if that's what peers and societal media were telling him to bash so. I fearfulness that's what was prompted."

At a pre-inquest proceeding successful November, Mr Brookes said determination was "no evidence" to substantiate that Archie had been taking portion successful an online challenge.

The inquest, expected to past 2 days, continues.