Tragic toddler Bronson Battersby found curled up next to dead father ‘died of dehydration’, inquest told

A tragic toddler found between his late father’s legs died due to dehydration, an inquest has heard.

Two-year-old Bronson Battersby was found curled up in his Pudsey pajamas on January 9 next to his father, Kenneth, 60, who is believed to have suffered a heart attack shortly after he was last seen alive on Boxing Day.

A social worker attended their home in Skegness, Lincolnshire, on January 2 for a routine visit but received no response and contacted police.

They visited again on January 4, but again there was no response. The social worker contacted the police again that day.

Shockingly, the bodies of Kenneth and Bronson – who were classified as vulnerable and checked weekly – were only found five days later when the social worker himself used a key provided by the landlord to enter the house.

Bronson, as almost everyone now knows, was found curled up next to his father, who was believed to have suffered a fatal heart attack at their home in Skegness. The toddler had died of starvation

The toddler’s mother, Sarah Piesse, 43, last saw her son before Christmas after an argument with her ex.

At the time, residents of the town said news of Bronson’s death had made it difficult for them to sleep at night, while his mother, Mrs Piesse, said her life had been a “living nightmare” since she was told her son and former partner had died.

The inquest, opened by senior coroner Paul Smith in Lincoln, heard how Bronson went to live with his father after his parents split in the summer of 2022, while his two siblings lived with his mother.

Detective Inspector Claire Rimmer of Lincolnshire Police told the coroner’s court how police were called by a ‘concerned’ neighbor who had not seen Kenneth for some time reporting an odor coming from the flat.

Kenneth’s body was found behind the living room door and Bronson was found dead between his father’s legs.

The court also heard from coroner Tracy Cox, who confirmed Bronson’s post-mortem examination took place at Leicestershire Royal Infirmary on January 11. The report confirmed that Bronson died due to dehydration.

Mr Smith adjourned the inquest to a provisional date of December 10, noting that a “thorough and sensitive investigation” into the two deaths is taking place.

The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership is carrying out an in-depth, independent review of the case. This started in February and is expected to last six months.