Inquest Reveals Heartbreaking Details Surrounding His Death

The inquest into Archie Battersbee’s death has heard that his mother believes her son died following an accidental fall from the banister at their home, resulting in a serious neck injury. Archie, aged 12, had his life support withdrawn on August 6, 2022, after his parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, were unable to overturn a High Court ruling allowing doctors to do so.

During the first day of the inquest in Chelmsford, Ms Dance tearfully recounted finding Archie unconscious at their home in Southend, Essex, on April 7 last year. She described how she discovered her son unresponsive by the staircase and ran outside, crying for help. “I was crying hysterically, saying ‘please don’t leave mummy, I love you little man,’” she recalled.

When asked by Essex’s senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, how she believed her son died, Ms Dance responded, “I think he climbed on the banister and probably fell, causing serious injury to his neck, resulting in unconsciousness.” She firmly stated her belief that Archie’s death was an unfortunate accident.

Ms Dance described Archie as the “apple of my eye,” saying he was “well-loved” and “protected.” She mentioned that the separation between herself and Archie’s father had affected him, and that he had endured bullying at school, leading to his removal from mainstream education.

The inquest revealed that Archie had a passion for gymnastics and mixed martial arts (MMA), with his first fight scheduled just weeks before his death. Ms Dance shared that Archie “thought he was the next Spider-Man” and frequently climbed on things. Family members noted that he seemed “a bit bored” rather than distressed in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.

In response to questions about messages found on Archie’s phone, Ms Dance expressed her heartbreak and surprise, stating, “If there were any marks on his body, I would have seen them.” Doctors at the Royal London Hospital had believed Archie to be brain-stem dead and determined that continued life support was not in his best interests.

Previously, Ms Dance had suggested that Archie might have been participating in an online challenge at the time of his injury, which contributed to his brain damage. However, Mr Brookes indicated that he had seen no evidence of such participation during a preliminary inquest hearing in November, although police had found messages indicating Archie was experiencing a “very low mood.”