Boy, four, died in an ‘extraordinary and tragic accident’

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy died after accidentally hanging himself by his hood when it caught on a door knob as he was playing outside his father’s flat, an inquest heard yesterday,

Maison Hirstle was running into the block of flats in Scarborough when he caught his hood on the inside entrance door knob as it swung shut behind him.

He was found hanging from the inside of the entrance door of a block of flats by a neighbour trying to enter the building.

The accident happened as he headed outside to play with his then five-year-old brother Preston.

Through what was described at the inquest as an “extraordinary and tragic accident”, Maison got his hood caught on the inside door knob of the heavy door to the block of flats as it swung shut.

Speaking after the inquest at Scarborough Rugby Club yesterday, his mother, Katrina Glendinning, said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I loved him more than the world.

“I’m sorry because I should have been there for him and obviously we all loved him more than we can say.

“I just don’t really understand how this has happened. It’s been hard to take it in and it still is.

“He was so full of life and really cheeky too. He always had a smile on his face and never stopped making people laugh. That’s how we want to remember him.”

The inquest heard neighbour Rafal Twardowsk, the boy’s father, James Hirstle, and Mr Hirstle’s then 16-year-old son T J all tried to revive Maison before an ambulance crew arrived.

He was taken to Scarborough Hospital but never regained consciousness.

Medical evidence read out to the inquest by paediatric pathologist Dr Srinavas Annavarapu said were no wounds or bruises that would indicate violence and the ligatures around his neck were consistent with hanging.

North Yorkshire East coroner Michael Oakley recorded the death as accidental.

He said: “This clearly is a case of an extremely tragic accident. Maison was pulled from school and we know from the evidence that it was because of an upper respiratory infection.

“He had been playing outside where he lived with his brother and friend and in some extraordinary way he had his hood trapped in the door leading into the common area of the flats.

“This has led to his death by causing the ligatures around his neck.”