Archie Battersbee sent abortion voice note days before injury - inquest

Archie Battersbee received a dependable enactment days earlier helium was recovered unconscious which told him his parent had wanted to person an abortion, an inquest heard.

Archie, 12, died successful August erstwhile his life enactment was withdrawn pursuing his parents' ineligible conflict with the NHS infirmary treating him successful London.

He was recovered astatine the household location successful Southend, Essex, connected 7 April past year.

Family members told the inquest they did not judge helium was trying to harm himself.

Previously his parent had asked Essex Police to analyse Archie's phone, believing helium whitethorn person been taking portion successful an online challenge.

No images oregon videos of Archie taking portion successful online challenges were recovered connected his phone, a detective told the inquest.

Det Sgt Tiffany Gore told the inquest officers recovered a dependable enactment from 3 April successful which a young antheral dependable said: "Oi Archie, bash you cognize wherefore you're angry?

"Because your mum wanted you to beryllium an abortion."

She said that a 2nd audio enactment connected the aforesaid day said: "You and your mum are the ones sat determination each nighttime using."

Another "heated exchange" was recovered dated 15 February 2022 with "a fig of dependable notes" successful a 2nd young antheral voice, she said.

Essex's elder coroner Lincoln Brookes said it could beryllium characterised arsenic a "heated speech of bravado" wherever threats were exchanged.

Videos and images connected Archie's telephone showed the youngster taking portion successful martial arts and "showed a blessed small lad enjoying his hobbies", the serviceman said.

The inquest heard that though Archie had TikTok connected his phone, the constabulary had not been capable to accidental for definite helium had ne'er seen immoderate online challenges oregon thing containing suicidal thoughts.

However, they did found determination had been nary net searches related to online challenges.

Thomas Summers, Archie's older brother, described him arsenic a "joker".

He said helium had spoken to him hours earlier helium was recovered unconscious and Archie had told him helium was looking to bargain a caller coat.

"I bash not judge Archie would person intentionally harmed himself successful immoderate mode erstwhile conscionable a fewer hours earlier helium was looking to bargain a coat," said his brother.

He added that Archie was concentrating connected his archetypal MMA fight, which was a fewer weeks away.

Archie's older sister Lauren Summers said she could not callback "any signs oregon indications of Archie being successful a debased temper oregon displaying antithetic behaviour".

Matthew Badcock, the caput teacher astatine Archie's erstwhile superior school, said: "Although Archie was challenging, helium was beauteous with it and seldom disrespectful."

He described times erstwhile Archie "would spell to the apical of the stairwell and was hanging implicit the apical and unit had to propulsion him back".

He said that erstwhile helium heard of the incidental helium "never for 1 2nd believed" Archie was trying to harm himself.

"My gut absorption was helium was doing thing diversion oregon mucking astir and it had gone wrong," said Mr Badcock.

Archie was connected beingness enactment astatine the Royal London Hospital successful Whitechapel, and his parents, Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance, opposed plans to extremity his beingness enactment treatment, but mislaid a ineligible conflict successful the courts.

Dr Malik Ramadhan, the aesculapian manager of the hospital, but not 1 of Archie's treating clinicians, was asked to springiness an overview of Archie's clip there.

He said that erstwhile Archie arrived from Southend Hospital determination were "signs of neurological damage".

"An archetypal electrical trial of his encephalon showed determination was nary activity," helium said.

"It was repeated with euphony being played and his parent with him to spot if determination was immoderate effect and determination was nary effect to immoderate extracurricular stimulation."

He said that the infirmary formed the presumption that it was "not a survivable injury".

The inquest successful Chelmsford continues.