Bronson Battersby: Time of death not known

Bronson Battersby was found dead between the legs of his father at a property in Skegness

An pre-inquest review into the death of a toddler heard it was still not possible to establish when he died.

The review, at the Myle Cross Centre in Lincoln, was told two-year-old Bronson Battersby and his 60-year-old father Kenneth Battersby were found dead at a property in Skegness on 9 January.

At the opening of an inquest into the deaths in June, coroner Paul Smith heard Bronson had died of dehydration after his father had died.

Jayne Wilkes, area coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, said there was a need to establish as full a timeline as possible for Bronson and his father.

"Bronson’s circumstances are unusual," the coroner said.

"At present we do not have any clear factual basis as to when Bronson passed away.

"A key issue at this stage is a clear timeline of Bronson’s death," she said.

The review heard Bronson took selfies on a phone on the morning of 31 December at the flat and a witness also heard Mr Battersby shouting at his son that same night.

A pathology report showed Mr Battersby's cause of death was a sudden cardiac event.

However, a post-mortem was unable to establish how long he had been dead before they were both found on 9 January.

A post-mortem for Bronson showed he had low body fat and muscle, which showed - at least in part - a lack of nourishment and fluid.

The coroner told the court it was hoped witnesses and expert opinion, including a metabolic expert and a paediatric review, might be able to shed further light on the times of their deaths.

Rapid review

A rapid review was launched following the discovery of their bodies.

At the time, it was revealed the family was known to children's services and Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) confirmed a social worker "had contact" with Mr Battersby on 27 December and had arranged a home visit for 2 January.

However, when that appointment was missed, the police were contacted. The social worker also tried to make contact on 4 January and followed it up again five days later.

After receiving no response on the third attempt, Mr Battersby's landlady was contacted and gained entry to the property.

Timeline

• 27 December 2023: A social worker has contact with Mr Battersby and a home visit is arranged.

• 2 January 2024: The social worker arrives at the property but there is no response at the door. She tries to locate Bronson at other addresses and, unable to find him, speaks to her manager and the police.

• 4 January: A second attempt at a home visit is made. Again, there is no response. The social worker informs police.

• 9 January: A third attempt is made and the social worker alerts Mr Battersby's landlady. Entry is gained and the bodies of both father and son are found.

• 15 January: LCC notifies the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP) of a serious incident that meets the criteria for rapid review.

• 17 January: LCC confirms a review is under way and Lincolnshire Police says it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

• 20 February: Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership announces an in-depth independent review supported by the CSPRP.

Source: Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Police

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