There is a “likelihood” a two-year-old boy, whose body was found in his home, might still be alive if his father had not died, an pre-inquest hearing has heard.
Bronson Battersby was discovered between the legs of his dead father, Kenneth Battersby, also known as Kenny, on January 9 in their home in Skegness, Lincolnshire.
Coroner Jayne Wilkes told a pre-inquest review hearing at Greater Lincolnshire Coroner’s Court on Thursday that the circumstances suggest Bronson died after his 60-year-old father.
She said: “There has to be a likelihood that had Kenny not passed away then Bronson would still be alive.
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
“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 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 little boy “notes low body fat and muscle” and he 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”.
It must be incredibly difficult for you. I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of this little boy in such tragic circumstances
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 December 27 and arranged to visit them on January 2, but there was no response when they arrived at the door.
Selfies taken by Bronson on December 31, 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 December 31.
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.
