Boy accidentally hanged himself after creating rope device to watch tablet computer from bunk bed

Liam Gardner  Photo: Wales News Service

Inquest hears how boy was strangled by his 'Heath Robinson-type contraption' while playing alone in his bedroom

A nine-year-old boy was hanged in a freak accident after rigging up a rope device to watch films in his bunk bed.

Liam Gardner and his brother used dressing gown cords to make a "Heath Robinson-type" device to hang his tablet computer from the top bunk to see movies.

But an inquest heard how Liam was accidentally strangled by the cord while alone in his bedroom.

His mother Kiara Willis, 33, went upstairs at their home to find Liam unconscious with the cord tangled around his neck.

The inquest heard Liam and his brother Delmi, 12, had rigged up a "Heath Robinson-type contraption" to suspend their tablet computer to watch films.

But the hearing was told Liam would also swing from the device while he was playing in the bedroom - and it tangled around his neck

His mother said the dressing gown cord device had "only been there a few days" before Liam was hanged,

Mother of five Kiara was downstairs when brother Delmi shouted for help from the bedroom of their home in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.

Kiara said: "My 12-year-old screamed "Mum" and I knew something was wrong. I ran upstairs - he was just dangling there.

"I tried to get him off and I couldn't. My 16-year-old got a knife and tried to cut him down.

"We tried to give him mouth to mouth and we were on the phone to the ambulance. It all happened so quickly."

She said: "Liam was always climbing on things and jumping off them.

Liam was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff after the tragedy in May.

Gwent coroner David Bowen said: "I'm satisfied that Liam was a typical nine-year-old full of life and had no appreciation of danger.

"He shared a bedroom with his brother and they had suspended a Heath Robinson-type of contraption which they used to watch videos.

"While it wasn't being used for that he would put his body through the contraption and use it as a swing.

"I'm satisfied that was what he was doing the moments before he died."

Mr Bowen said the dressing gown cord "must have twisted in a totally unexpected way with fatal results".

The coroner said: "Sometimes we are obsessed with health and safety but to leave such a device up with unsupervised children was inviting trouble."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death at the Newport inquest.

His father Shane, 34, wrote a message to Liam on a social network site: "Why, why why did you have to leave us at such a young age?

"Daddy loves you so much so nothing will ever be the same without you."

After the inquest, Kiara said: "He was a happy-go-lucky little boy. He loved life and playing and winding people up.

"I want parents to be aware of the dangers of bunk beds. I never thought this would happen."

SOURCE:TELEGRAPH UK