CYPRUS COURT FINES JOSHUA FOSTER FOR CAUSING SON'S DEATH

Paphos District Court fined Joshua Foster €3,000 (£2,500) on Friday after he admitted causing his son's death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act. The court heard that the toddler fell nearly 40ft from a fourth-floor window at the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas, Cyprus, on 12 July. Foster, from Essex, thought the window was closed when he placed his son on the sill to show him a waterpark, the court heard. Prosecutor Chryso Perganti said the boy died in hospital after suffering multiple fractures and damage to his vital organs.

The court heard that Foster, his wife, their two children and his in-laws had arrived in Cyprus that morning for a holiday. His lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, said Foster walked towards the lift with his father-in-law and son at about 18:00 as the family prepared to go out for dinner. Alexandrou said the boy noticed the waterpark before Foster pressed the lift button and placed him on the windowsill. In his statement to police, Foster said his son “fell before he had a chance to grab him”.

Alexandrou said Foster spent eight days in custody after the fall and called his daughter from custody to explain what had happened. During mitigation, Alexandrou told the court: “That fraction of a second will haunt him for the rest of his life.” District Judge Froso Christodoulidou imposed the fine without a prison sentence. After sentencing, Foster said: “Thank you for the support. I'm looking forward to going home and being with my wife and daughter.”