Boy, 5, 'looking at reflection' in mirror when it fell and crushed him in Fenwick store

Freddie Farrow, 5, was killed successful the horrific incidental successful a Fenwick section store successful Colchester, Essex, successful 2021. An inquest has opened into his tragic abrupt death

A five-year-old lad was caught connected CCTV touching a free-standing reflector successful a section store portion looking astatine his ain reflection earlier it fell and crushed him, an inquest has heard.

Freddie Farrow utilized "very small force" and an Essex Police detective formed the presumption that the reflector "must person been precise adjacent oregon connected its equilibrium point", the proceeding successful Chelmsford was told. The mirror, which was 8ft 6in (2.6m) precocious and astir 2ft (0.6m) wide, toppled connected to Freddie astatine the Fenwick store successful Colchester, Essex, connected July 27 2021, according to a constabulary report.

It was estimated to measurement betwixt 132lb and 176lb (60kg-80kg), Temporary Det Chief Insp Michael Pannell told the inquest. The officer, who went done a study prepared by his colleague, Det Insp Fred Tomkins, who was incapable to be the inquest, said constabulary were called to the country by the ambulance work astatine 11.32am.

"The archetypal study was that a ample reflector had fallen connected a child," said Mr Pannell, adding that the youngster was "unconscious". He said the lad was initially taken to Colchester Hospital and past transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital successful Cambridge, wherever helium died connected August 2 2021.

Mr Pannell said the report's author, Mr Tomkins, gave the dimensions of the mirror, which was successful the store's lingerie department. He besides estimated its weight, noting that the solid was breached and determination was a "considerable magnitude of humor connected the floor".

He said determination was a metallic bracket connected the partition and a metallic bracket connected the mirror, and a woody portion of the bracket was successful pieces. Mr Pannell, speechmaking from the study written by Mr Tomkins, said: "It was my presumption that this portion of the bracket betwixt the 2 metallic brackets had efficaciously travel apart, leaving it freestanding and leaning against the wall."

The serviceman said the incidental was captured connected CCTV, with Freddie seen to participate the lingerie conception of the store with his parent and her friend. "Freddie appears to interaction the mirror, looking astatine his ain reflection," said Mr Pannell. "The reflector appears to shimmer earlier moving forwards."

Mr Tomkins' study said "very small unit was utilized by Freddie, and my presumption is the reflector indispensable person been precise adjacent oregon connected its equilibrium point". Essex Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes said the "distressing" CCTV footage would not beryllium played arsenic portion of the inquest.

He told the jurors a "large reflector attached to a file fell implicit connected apical of him (Freddie), causing precise superior caput injuries". Mr Pannell said the reflector deed Freddie connected the "top and backmost of his head". The inquest heard that helium suffered a "catastrophic encephalon injury".

Mr Pannell said Freddie "doesn't truly use immoderate unit to the reflector which weighs a important amount, past (the mirror) leans guardant and hits him". Freddie's mother, Natasha Ingham, who attended the proceeding with different household members, described her lad arsenic "cheeky and comic and clever".

Reading a pen portrait, she said: "He was ever smiling which was similar a ray of sunshine." His father, Andrew Farrow, who was not astatine the hearing, said successful a connection work by the coroner's officer, that it "feels similar portion of our world is missing".

The inquest, estimated to past 4 to 5 days, continues.