Norwich boy, 4, died after neck got trapped in stair gates - BBC News

2022-05-28 01:21:02 By : Ms. Amanda Zhang

A four-year-old boy died after his neck became trapped between two stair gates that had been positioned one above the other, an inquest heard.

Draco Chapman was found unresponsive at his home in Norwich on 2 April 2019, and died three weeks later.

The inquest heard Draco's neck was trapped as he tried to climb between the stair gates, causing a cardiac arrest and irreversible brain damage.

Coroner Johanna Thompson concluded his death was accidental.

A serious case review by Norfolk Children Safeguarding Partnership has recommended that all stair gates should come with a mandatory warning for them not to fitted above another one.

The coroner's court in Norwich heard that Draco's mother, who was 20-weeks pregnant at the time, had been "finding it hard to manage" and the house had "got out of hand".

In a statement, she said she fitted a stair gate on top of another as the children would climb over if there was just one.

She said it was to "stop them from getting out of the lounge and on to the stairs", and to "stop them from hurting themselves".

She said the instructions did not suggest one could not go on top of the other, and she had "seen other people" do it.

On the day of the incident, she said the children had been to school and nursery, and then went to McDonald's as a "Tuesday tradition".

She said she had gone to a parents' evening and left her eldest child, who is now 19, to look after the younger ones.

When she arrived home, she said her eldest was on the phone to the ambulance service and was "screaming Draco isn't breathing".

The four-year-old was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital before he was transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Draco had Noonan syndrome - a genetic condition that can cause a range of health problems. His mother's statement said he had heart abnormalities, was small for his age and had a mental age of a two-year-old.

He was later taken off life support and transferred to Quidenham Children's Hospice in Norfolk where he died on 23 April 2019.

In summing up, Norfolk's assistant coroner Ms Thompson said the serious case review referred to videos on YouTube about using double stair gates, adding that "there may well be an issue that needs to be addressed".

Speaking after the inquest, Draco's father said his son was "mischievous at times, but in a loveable way" and the family had been "destroyed" by his death.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

Norfolk Coroner's Court

Norfolk Live News Heavy delays on major Norfolk road after crash Owen Sennitt

Father still searching six months after Pawel Martyniak went missing James Weeds

Seaside resort chosen by charity for caravan treat Seaside resort chosen by charity for caravan treat

Suffolk County Council Devolution deal decision set for the autumn Jason Noble, Local Democracy Reporter

9 of the best things to do with kids in Norfolk

Texas shooting response was wrong, says official

Trump: US should fund safe schools before Ukraine

How a Singapore execution set off a wave of protest

Consumed by grief, a Texas town turns to prayer

Germany's Scholz wobbles on tanks for Ukraine

Anti-Kremlin protesters look to Armenia for safety

How a Singapore execution set off a wave of protest

Living underground in Kharkhiv for three months. Video Living underground in Kharkhiv for three months

'It took us 75 years to meet our sister'

Celebs, sandstorms and striking photos this week

The fascinating origins of the world’s oldest martial art

Russian mum's fight to save sons from Putin's war

The end of 'mandatory office fun'

Why "the inane office 'fun' of yesteryear has wholly passed"

Japan's simple, centuries-old snack

It's a straightforward street food with an iconic theme song

The batteries powered by gravity

Gravity batteries could solve one of renewable energy's biggest problems

© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.