As it's a live stream, it's difficult to archive and I don't know if it'll be retained in that format, so here's the blow-by-blow report on Hollie's evidence - I'll keep updating as more is added
Holly Dance says Archie was bullied at school
Hollie Dance is recounting Archie’s earlier life, including the separation of her and his father, Paul Battersbee. Ms Dance said Archie endured bullying at school and was for a period taken out of mainstream education, before later returning. Ms Dance said she believed he “should never have left” mainstream education.
Ms Dance said Archie began training in gymnastics and became very sporty and active. She said: “He would train five days a week, two days gymnastics and three days MMA [Mixed Martial Arts]. He loved to go for meals with me and thrived around adults. He was due to have his first MMA fight in April 2022. This obviously didn’t happen but Archie was training hard for this.”
Archie 'wasn't down just bored' and watched TikTok videos in weeks before incident
Ms Dance said that Archie would watch videos online, including on TikTok and other social media, but she initially wasn't concerned about what he was doing. She shared how she and Archie would often go to Tesco to buy his fitness food, including times when he “treated himself to Krispie Kremes [doughnuts]”.
She continued: “In the weeks leading up to April 7, there were introspectively some factors that can be seen as relevant, some directly, some not so. He started watching TikTok, watching stuff they [his step-family] didn’t know what, on his phone.
"They said he wasn’t down, just a bit bored as it was the school holidays and there was not much happening. I didn’t pick up on this but I wish I had.”
Archie loved gymnastics but was told he'd never be a professional gymnast
Ms Dance said that Archie “thought he was the next Spider-Man” and would often be climbing on things, saying he was very keen on his gymnastics.
She said: “He pushed himself to the best of his ability. If anyone said he couldn’t do something, Archie would do it. He was told he would never be a professional gymnast and he won a gold medal two weeks later."
Archie sent messages to friends about 'negative thoughts' weeks before incident that left him in coma
The court has heard Archie sent messages to friends expressing negative thoughts in the weeks before he was found unresponsive.
Coroner Brookes asked Ms Dance: “Were you aware of him expressing thoughts of self-harm and suicide?”
She replied “no”.
The coroner continued: “The police found he had shared some thoughts with others online or in a WhatsApp group. How were you when you read that?”
Ms Dance said: “Heartbroken, very surprised. Archie’s things would be he would strip off when he got home. I liked to get into his workouts. If there were any marks on his body I would have seen them.”
Archie's mum recounts the last moments she saw Archie before finding him unconscious
Ms Dance has recounted the day when she discovered her son unresponsive in their home. She said it started like a “normal day” and they had gone out for lunch at Pure Vegan, before going to Tesco and coming back home.
She said once home, she had gone upstairs and been on a call with her partner, when Archie came into the bedroom and made a joke he “had some sweets” and then surprised her with their rabbit in a bag. They had discussed looking at what was on at the cinema later.
Ms Dance said: “That was the last time I saw Archie before I found him unconscious five or ten minutes later.”
Ms Dance says she now doesn't know if Archie was taking part in an 'online challenge' despite previous claims
Previously, Ms Dance said she believed Archie may have been taking part in an online “blackout” challenge - but has told the inquest today that she can’t say for sure.
She said: “I still don’t know if Archie was trying the blackout challenge on April 7 or before. I still don’t know what he was watching on TikTok."
Ms Dance said she become concerned when she talked to others about Archie’s online activity after the incident, and fears children are put under pressure to take part in such challenges.
She continued: “The police through very good work have confirmed that Archie was watching TikTok that day before I found him.”
Archie's mum says she doesn't think her son tried to self-harm but was easily influenced
Ms Dance continued: “Knowing Archie the way I do, for a 12-year-old he didn’t fear much. He hated bullying and loud shouting. I can see that he might possibly be influenced even though he knew right from wrong if that’s what peers and social media were telling him to do so. I fear that’s what was prompted.
“He was playing with his rabbit happily. I found the rabbit on the landing sitting still. There was no indication of whether there would be self-harming thoughts or motivations. He was so looking forward to his MMA competition. I am sure he would not have done anything to miss that major milestone.”
Archie's mum 'ran outside screaming' after finding Archie unresponsive
Hollie Dance has shared the heartbreaking account of how she raised the alarm after finding her son unresponsive. She ran out of the house screaming for help, but went back inside when no one came. The ambulance service was called when she went back inside, and paramedics came to the scene.
Ms Dance said: “I was asked to sit on the stairs. I was crying hysterically, I was saying ‘please don’t leave mummy, I love you little man’. I repeated that over and over again, I just didn’t want him to leave me. Everything seemed in slow motion.”
Ms Dance says she 'acknowledges the care and help' that hospital staff gave her son even though she disagreed with decision to end life support
Ms Dance tells the court that she still has concerns about Archie’s use of TikTok, and the decision to take him initially to Southend Hospital rather than going straight to the Royal London Hospital, which is where he ended up. In her statement which she read to court, she asked if the coroner will consider further investigating this.
But she also concluded: “I would like to make sure that people know I acknowledge the care and help that people gave. I am sure people did what they thought was right, even though I disagreed and it ended in Archie’s death, and none of us should be afraid to learn in the future.”
[Court is taking a break before they question Hollie - I'll continue in a new post]
