Coroner details injuries that killed Chelmsford boy, 2, in Cyprus hotel fall

A two-year-old boy from Chelmsford who fell to his death from a fourth-floor window at a hotel in Cyprus died from multiple severe injuries, an Essex coroner has said. The inquest into the death of Jaxon Foster was opened and adjourned on Friday, and a full hearing is due on 6 January, according to the BBC and the Mirror.

Senior coroner Lincoln Brookes described the case as “particularly tragic” and offered his condolences to Jaxon's family. The BBC reported that the boy's father was fined in Cyprus in October after admitting causing his death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act.

How the case has unfolded

12 July: Jaxon fell nearly 40ft (12m) from a fourth-floor window at the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas, near Paphos, on the first day of the family's holiday.
October: His father, Joshua Foster, was fined €3,000 (£2,500) at a court in Paphos after admitting causing his son's death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act.
Friday: The inquest was opened and adjourned at Essex Coroner's Court, where the provisional cause of death was given.
6 January: A full inquest is due to be heard, the coroner said.

What the coroner told the inquest

The BBC reported that the inquest heard Jaxon suffered fatal injuries to his head, vital organs and body. According to the coroner, the provisional cause of death was “severe craniocerebral injuries and multiple injuries of the body and vital organs” caused by a fall from height.

Brookes said the boy was on holiday with his family in Paphos when he fell from a fourth-floor window of the hotel where they were staying. His death was confirmed at hospital the same day, the coroner said. The Mirror added that Jaxon was taken to Paphos General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to resuscitate him.

What the Cyprus court heard

The sentencing hearing heard that Foster, his wife, their two children and his in-laws had arrived in Cyprus only hours before the incident. They spent time by the swimming pool before getting ready for dinner, according to the BBC.

At about 6pm, Foster, his father-in-law and Jaxon were walking towards a lift when the boy noticed a waterpark outside. The court was told Foster pressed the lift button and placed Jaxon on a windowsill to show him the view, without realising the window was open. He could not react before the boy fell, the BBC reported.

The 37-year-old auditor's lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, described the incident as a momentary error with fatal consequences, and called his client an incredible father with a beautiful family.

District Judge Froso Christodoulidou said in October that the window did not appear to carry markings that would necessarily have alerted Foster to the fact that one section was open. She added there was no evidence he deliberately exposed the child to danger, and that no sentence could outweigh the consequences of losing Jaxon, the BBC reported.

What this means for the family and the process

The criminal case in Cyprus has concluded with the fine, but the coroner's process in England is still under way. The inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday, and the full hearing is set for 6 January.

The family said in a statement that their son was deeply loved and will be forever missed, and that his loss is something they carry every day. After the sentencing, the Mirror reported, Foster thanked people for their support and said he was looking forward to going home to be with his wife and daughter.