A full inquest has been set for February next year
An inquest has heard that Archie Battersbee’s provisional cause of death was a “catastrophic” brain injury, and that “multiple professionals” and second opinions confirmed he had suffered “severe irreversible brain injury.”
The 12-year-old boy from Essex passed away on August 6 when his life support was withdrawn following a lengthy legal battle from his parents over his treatment coming to an end.
He had been in a coma since April, when he was found unconscious by his mother, Hollie Dance.
Since then, he has been kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, and had been on a ventilator.
His parents spent months battling the courts after it was decided that it was in Archie’s best interests for his life support to be turned off.
On Friday morning (August 12), an inquest began into Archie’s death.
Coroner’s officer Paul Donaghy told the inquest: “Paramedics attended and they reported a Glasgow Coma Scale of only 3 and confirmed a cardiac arrest. CPR continued and Archie was transported to Southend Hospital.
“Archie was thereafter transferred to the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital who were both in agreement that surgical intervention would not help Archie. He was reviewed by the Paediatric Neurology team during his admission.
“Second opinions were also provided by multiple professionals from the Royal London, Queen’s and Great Ormond Street Hospitals who agreed that Archie had suffered severe irreversible brain injury.
“The High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court were involved in applications to determine the direction of care and the best interests of Archie.
“With the authority of final court order, life-sustaining treatment was withdrawn on August 6, 2022, in a side room on the intensive care unit and Archie died surrounded by his family and friends.
“Death confirmed by a hospital consultant.”
Donaghy said that the provisional cause of death was identified as catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury secondary to strangulation.
The full inquest into Archie’s death is scheduled to start on February 7 next year, Essex Live reports.
Senior coroner for Essex Lincoln Brookes said that the inquest will seek to determine where, when and how Archie died, with “no one being on trial” during the proceedings.
He went on to extend his “deepest condolences” to Archie’s family on behalf of himself and his officers, describing the boy’s death as a “tragedy that affected so many people.”
Related links:
- Archie Battersbee’s family demand urgent review as ‘no family should go through this’
- Archie Battersbee: Grieving family label 12-year-old’s death ‘barbaric’ as tributes pour in
- Woman killed after loose beach umbrella impales her in the chest
