Archie Battersbee: No evidence of online challenge - coroner

Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, says she has been subjected to "vile" online abuse

A coroner has said he has seen no evidence that Archie Battersbee was taking part in an online challenge when he fatally injured himself.

Archie, 12, from Southend, died when his life support was withdrawn following his parents' legal battle with the NHS hospital treating him.

His mother has said she believed he was injured in an online challenge.

A pre-inquest review heard Essex Police had found messages on his phone reflecting a "very low mood".

A full inquest is to be held in Chelmsford on 7 February.

In April, Hollie Dance found her son unconscious at home and he spent most of the next four months being treated at the Royal London Hospital in east London, run by Barts NHS Health Trust.

Archie died on 6 August when life support was withdrawn after a number of courts agreed with doctors that stopping treatment was in Archie's best interest.

Archie suffered brain damage in an incident at home on 7 April

At the pre-inquest hearing in Chelmsford, Essex's senior coroner Lincoln Brookes said there was "no evidence at this stage to substantiate the concern" that Archie had been taking part in an online challenge.

Ms Dance had contacted Essex Police as she was "concerned there was an online challenge going round and other young people could be at risk", the hearing heard.

Det Insp Sarah Weeks said the force downloaded information from Archie's phone on 13 June.

She said there was no evidence of him filming any video on the day he was injured and no photographs or videos to suggest he was taking part in an online challenge.

Instead officers found YouTube and internet searches related to his interests, like mixed martial arts.

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In a further update following a "full forensic download" of the phone, Det Insp Weeks said: "There are a series of messages which reflect Archie's mood.

"This has only been received this morning so we will look to prepare a full report."

The coroner said: "It's low mood we're looking at here, very low mood."

Ms Dance asked Essex Police to investigate the possibility an online challenge was connected to her son's death

He said the topics that the full inquest would cover would include Archie's medical cause of death and his "state of mind and his intentions on 7 April 2022".

The pre-inquest hearing was told that Ms Dance had concerns about Archie being taken first to Southend Hospital instead of directly to the Royal London Hospital.

But the coroner said her lawyer "makes it clear this is a mother's fears rather than anything that has an evidential basis behind it".