British man fined €3,000 over two-year-old son's fatal fall from Cyprus hotel window
Joshua Foster, 37, was sentenced at Paphos district court after pleading guilty to causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act.
At a glance
- Joshua Foster, 37, was fined €3,000 (£2,500) in Cyprus over the death of his two-year-old son.
- The boy fell nearly 12 metres from a fourth-floor window at the King Evelthon Beach Hotel on 12 July.
- Foster pleaded guilty to causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act; he thought the window was closed.
A British man has been fined €3,000 (£2,500) after his two-year-old son fell nearly 12 metres (40ft) to his death from a fourth-floor hotel window in Cyprus.
Joshua Foster, 37, an auditor, was sentenced at Paphos district court on Friday after pleading guilty to causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act. He held back tears as district judge Froso Christodoulidou read out the sentence, and after the 25-minute hearing hugged his lawyer before embracing his parents.
The boy fell from the fourth floor of the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas on 12 July, the first day of the family's holiday.
What the court heard
The court was told the family — Foster, his wife, their two children and his in-laws — had arrived in Cyprus in the early hours of the morning on the day of the incident. After activities including a visit to the pool, they returned to their rooms to get ready for dinner.
At about 6pm, Foster, his father-in-law and his son walked towards the lift. His lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, said Foster was in a "good mood" and was playing with the boy. As they approached the lift, the child noticed a waterpark outside. Foster pressed the lift button and placed the child on the windowsill; the boy looked out and what the lawyer called the "inconceivable" unfolded before Foster could react.
Alexandrou told the hearing on 6 October that Foster's life "changed for ever" from that moment.
The court heard that Foster had not realised that section of the window was open and believed there was protective glass. The window was 2.85 metres wide and 1.2 metres high.
Prosecutor Chryso Pergandi said police received reports at about 6.40pm that a child had fallen from the fourth floor of the beachfront hotel under unknown circumstances. The boy was taken to Paphos general hospital, where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to resuscitate him.
Blood alcohol and custody
In a voluntary statement to police, Foster said that when he placed his son on the windowsill the boy "fell before he had a chance to grab him". A blood sample taken at Paphos general hospital showed an estimated alcohol concentration of 124mg. Alcohol did not form a significant part of the case against Foster, and his lawyer said there was no testimony that he was drunk.
The lawyer said Foster had no previous convictions and that his remorse "is clear". He was held in custody for eight days immediately after the incident and, while grieving for his child, had to call his daughter from custody to explain what had happened.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- What happened to Joshua Foster's two-year-old son in Cyprus?
- The boy fell nearly 12 metres (40ft) from a fourth-floor window of the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas on 12 July, the first day of the family's holiday, and was pronounced dead at Paphos general hospital.
- What sentence did Joshua Foster receive?
- He was fined €3,000 (£2,500) at Paphos district court after pleading guilty to a charge of causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act.
- Was alcohol a factor in the case against Joshua Foster?
- A blood sample showed an estimated alcohol concentration of 124mg, but the court heard alcohol did not form a significant part of the case and there was no testimony that Foster was drunk.
