An inquest has been opened into the tragic death of a seven-month-old baby from East London who died following an accident on the first day of a family holiday in St Lucia.
Tommy Taylor-Mclean, from Huntsman Drive, Upminster, passed away in hospital on April 2 after suffering a fatal head injury. The infant is believed to have fallen from a bed shortly after arriving on the Caribbean island with his parents, Hannah and Matt, East London Coroner’s Court heard last week.
Inquest Opened After Repatriation
Senior coroner Graeme Irvine formally opened the inquest on April 9 at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court, following the repatriation of Tommy’s body to the UK. Mr Irvine said that, while some details of the case had been shared by funeral directors, much of the crucial medical and investigative evidence remains in St Lucia.
“It indicated that Tommy had been on holiday with his parents. They had arrived in St Lucia on the first of March, and early in the trip Tommy had fallen from a bed and injured himself,” Mr Irvine explained.
Initially, Tommy’s condition did not appear serious. However, his health deteriorated and he was admitted to St Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, where doctors discovered a bleed on the brain. Despite efforts by what the family described as “wonderful doctors,” the hospital lacked the surgical resources needed to save him.
Diplomatic Request for Overseas Evidence
The coroner emphasised the limitations of his legal powers when dealing with cases involving foreign jurisdictions, noting he would seek assistance from
