Coroner establishes cause of death of two-year-old Jaxon Foster, who fell from a hotel window in Cyprus

The key facts

Two-year-old Jaxon Foster from Chelmsford died on 12 July after falling about 12 metres from a fourth-floor window of the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas
The preliminary cause of death is severe head injuries and multiple injuries to the body and vital organs
The boy's father Joshua Foster was found guilty in Paphos in October and fined €3,000; the full inquest is scheduled for 6 January

What the coroner established

Two-year-old Jaxon Foster from Chelmsford, who fell from the fourth floor of a hotel in Cyprus, died from multiple severe injuries, senior Essex coroner Lincoln Brooks told a hearing at Essex Coroner's Court. According to BBC News, the inquest was opened and adjourned; the preliminary cause of death was given as 'severe head injuries and multiple injuries to the body and vital organs' resulting from a fall from height. A full hearing has been scheduled for 6 January.

Circumstances of the tragedy

The boy fell from a height of almost 40 feet (about 12 metres) on 12 July — the first day of the family holiday — from a fourth-floor window of the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas, near Paphos. The family had arrived in Cyprus just a few hours before the incident. At around 18:00, Joshua Foster was walking to the lift with his father-in-law and his son when the boy noticed a water park outside: according to findings read out at the sentencing hearing, the father placed the child on the windowsill to show him the view, but did not notice that the window was open and had no time to react. The boy's death was pronounced the same day at a hospital.

The Paphos court and the parties' positions

In October, a court in Paphos fined 37-year-old auditor Joshua Foster €3,000 (£2,500) after he pleaded guilty to causing his son's death through a 'reckless, rash or dangerous act'. Judge Frosos Christodoulidou noted that the window bore no visible markings indicating the open section, and stated there was no evidence that Foster had 'deliberately endangered the child', adding that no punishment could outweigh the loss of a child. Lawyer Alexandros Alexandrou described what happened as 'a momentary lapse with fatal consequences' and called the father 'a wonderful father'. Coroner Brooks described the case as 'particularly tragic' and expressed condolences to the family. In a statement previously quoted by the BBC, the family said: 'Our son was deeply loved and will remain in our memory forever. His loss is something we carry with us every day.'

What happens next

The full coroner's inquest in Essex will take place on 6 January; no information has yet been released about its outcome, including any final conclusion on the causes and circumstances of death. The case in the Cypriot court has, at this stage, concluded with a fine; sources contain no information about any further legal steps.