Archie Battersbee's death was accident, coroner rules

Archie Battersbee died as a result of an accident during a "prank or experiment that went wrong", a coroner has ruled. The 12-year-old's life support was withdrawn last August, months after he was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck at home in Southend, Essex, on 7 April. His family believe he had been taking part in a dangerous online challenge.

- MATT MATHERS, JANE DALTON

His parents Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee failed in their bids to overturn a High Court ruling that doctors could lawfully withdraw his medical care.

At an inquest into his death in Chelmsford, Essex, senior coroner Lincoln Brookes described the schoolboy as a "complex" child.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, he said that Archie "hadn't intended to harm himself but had done so inadvertently during a prank or experiment that went wrong".

Mr Brookes said he was satisfied that Archie "put his head in a noose or put a cord round his neck".

"I think he did so without necessarily a good reason: 12-year-old boys don't always have reasons," Mr Brookes said. "I think it may just be a case of curiosity - what does it feel like?"

He said that "something very similar happened the night before", when Archie's sister saw him putting a cord around his head to try to pull a door closed.

"This was an accident that went wrong, either a prank to shock his mum as she came out of the bedroom to find him doing something shocking or reckless, or just experimenting to see what it was like to do this," Mr Brookes said.

"It probably went wrong very quickly and very badly." He said it was "possible" that Archie had been taking part in an online challenge but he had not seen evidence of this.