The parents of a 12-year-old boy killed in an indoor ski slope tragedy have said they feel 'destroyed' after a coroner refused to hold a formal inquest into his death.
A Family's Fight for Answers
Natalie and Chris Watkiss spoke of their anguish outside South Staffordshire Coroner's Court in Stafford on Friday. This came after coroner Fiona Gingell ruled there would be no full inquest into the death of their son, Louis.
The tragic incident occurred on the evening of September 24, 2021, at the SnowDome in Tamworth. Louis was attending a friend's birthday party when he went down the slope on a toboggan. Simultaneously, the manager on duty that night, Joseph Dibb, walked onto the slope to deal with a lump of ice.
Mr Dibb was not wearing a high-visibility jacket and turned away from the direction of oncoming toboggans, inadvertently stepping into Louis's path. A collision occurred, with Mr Dibb falling on the boy and causing a catastrophic head injury.
A 'Non-Survivable' Injury and Legal Aftermath
A pathologist later stated that the injury Louis sustained was 'not survivable'. For the last four years, his parents have been relentlessly pressing for justice.
A criminal investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded earlier this year. The SnowDome admitted responsibility for Louis's death and was subsequently fined £100,000, with an additional £16,000 in costs. The Watkiss family branded this penalty as 'ridiculous' and a mere 'slap on the wrists'.
The family had hoped a formal inquest, held in an open court, would ensure that vital lessons were learned from the incident to prevent future tragedies.
Coroner's Ruling and Family's Devastation
However, Coroner Fiona Gingell stated that 'there was no part of the statutory investigation that needs to be carried out', noting that the purpose of an inquest is narrow, focusing only on who died, when, where, and how.
Following the hearing, Natalie and Chris Watkiss said the lengthy judicial process and their failed pursuit of an inquest had left them 'destroyed'.
Natalie told BirminghamLive: 'We are still in shock and we haven’t had chance to grieve because the whole system has taken that away from us. We haven’t been able to remember Louis for who he was because we just remember him in the system. So, we’re exhausted. We’re tired.'
She added that the ordeal has ripped their family apart and that their other son has pleaded with them, saying, 'mummy, please when is this going to stop? I’m here and I need you.'
Louis's father, Chris, commented: 'Every minute, every hour, every day is just pure pain. That’s sometimes put on hold, but now we are terrified of what’s going to follow. Because with nothing left to fight for at the minute, it’s going to hit us hard. Harder than it ever has done before I believe.'
The family vowed to keep Louis's legacy alive, stating that his death cannot be for nothing, and that they now face the daunting prospect of a silent grief without the focus of a legal battle.
