NICOSIA – A father whose two-year-old boy fell from a fourth floor window of a Cyprus hotel has been fined €3,000 (£2,500) for causing his death.
Joshua Foster thought the window was closed when he placed his son on a sill to show him the view of a waterpark and “lost control” of him, Paphos District Court previously heard. The toddler fell nearly 40ft (12.1m) at the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort on 12 July, the first day of the family’s holiday in Chlorakas. Foster, 37, from Essex, admitted causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act and was sentenced earlier. He told reporters afterwards: “Thank you for the support. I’m looking forward to going home and being with my wife and daughter.”
Later, the family said in a statement: “We are relieved that this process is now over, but for our family, the consequences of this tragedy will never end.
“Our son was deeply loved and will be forever missed. His loss is something we carry with us every day.”
Foster, an auditor, arrived in Cyprus hours before the incident with his wife, two children and in-laws.
At about 18:00, Foster, his father-in-law and son were walking towards a lift when the boy noticed a waterpark outside.
Foster pushed the lift button, placed the child on the windowsill and the “inconceivable” unfolded before he could react, the court heard.
The boy was taken to Paphos General Hospital and later pronounced dead.
“The window did not appear to carry markings that would necessarily have alerted the defendant to the fact that one section was open,” said District Judge Froso Christodoulidou.
His failure to establish that the window was not closed led to the tragic result, the judge added.
“It was a momentary error which created a dangerous situation with fatal consequences,” he said.
The judge added there was “no evidence that the defendant deliberately exposed the child to danger”, according to a translation of proceedings.
She added no sentence could outweigh the “personal consequences of the loss of his child”.
