An inquest has this week concluded that the death of 10-year-old Ashton Tuckey from Binstead, which occurred after a duvet cover being used as a curtain became wrapped around his neck, was an accident.
Paramedics from the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service were called to Wellington Road at around 15:00 on Sunday 7th December 2014 when the 10-year-old, who suffered from Downs Syndrome and autism, stopped breathing.
Despite the best efforts of all involved, Ashton was pronounced dead at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport just an hour later.
This week’s 2-day inquest heard how the youngster was playing in his room upstairs when all of a sudden it went quiet. Ashton’s mum, Jodie Tuckey, went upstairs to find him ‘looking out the window’. When she received no response from him she suddenly realised he was hanging from the make-shift curtain.
According to Jodie’s mother, Kathleen, the duvet cover had been put in place because Ashton would pull at the old blackout blinds. She said that social services had not raised any concerns about the use of a duvet cover as a curtain when they had previously visited.
At the time of the incident the entire house appeared to have improvised curtains made from sheets.
In a desperate bid to save her son’s life, Ms Tuckey – who did not attend the inquest – carried his limp body into the street to seek assistance from neighbours ahead of the arrival of paramedics.
A post mortem confirmed that the 10-year-old died as a result of compression to the neck by ligature. It’s said Ashton had a high pain threshold and no ability to call out for help.
Assistant coroner for the Isle of Wight, John Matthews, recorded the death as accidental.
