Pre-inquest hearing held into deaths of toddler Bronson Battersby and father in Skegness

A toddler whose body was found next to that of his dead father would likely still be alive if his father had not died, a coroner has said.

Two-year-old Bronson Battersby was discovered between the legs of his father, Kenneth Battersby, also known as Kenny, on 9 January at their home in Skegness.

Coroner Jayne Wilkes told a pre-inquest review hearing at Greater Lincolnshire Coroner’s Court on Thursday that Bronson probably died after 60-year-old Mr Battersby.

She said: “There has to be a likelihood that had Kenny not passed away then Bronson would still be alive.

“At present, we do not have any clear factual basis as to when Bronson passed away. He was of course pronounced deceased on January 9, but that is not, on the information we have been provided so far, likely to be the day he died.

“We may never have sufficient information on when Kenny or Bronson passed away and Kenny’s death is clearly important as a supporting or overlapping feature we also need to investigate.”

Bronson lived with his father, who had separated from the boy’s mother, in a basement flat in Prince Alfred Avenue.

An inquest opening was told in June that a neighbour had called police, reporting that she had not seen Mr Battersby for several days and that a smell was coming from the flat.

The cause of Mr Battersby’s death was determined as a “sudden cardiac event” because of underlying heart disease, the coroner told the hearing.

Ms Wilkes said a post-mortem examination of the boy showed he had "low body fat and muscle” and appeared malnourished. The cause of his death was recorded as dehydration.

Ms Wilkes said there had been “limited food in the fridge” and other food items in the freezer were “obviously of no use to Bronson”.

Lincolnshire County Council said Bronson had been known to children’s services and would typically be seen at least once a month by social workers.

A spokesman for the council said in a statement after the deaths that a social worker communicated with Mr Battersby on 27 December and arranged to visit them on 2 January, but there was no response when they arrived at the door.

Selfies taken by Bronson on 31 December, and Mr Battersby’s financial accounts, are among the outstanding pieces of information needed to create a timeline of the deaths, the coroner said.

The court was also told that a witness heard Mr Battersby shouting at his son on the evening of 31 December.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) carried out an investigation into Lincolnshire Police’s involvement before to the deaths but said in September that there was no indication any officer or staff member breached professional standards.

Ms Wilkes told Bronson’s step-sister, Melanie Battersby, who attended the hearing virtually: “It must be incredibly difficult for you. I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of this little boy in such tragic circumstances.”

She ended the hearing by saying the full inquest into the death is unlikely to take place before early autumn next year.

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