Ireland

Accidental death verdict at inquest into Kerry boy (5) who died after falling off quad bike driven by grandfather

Death of Freddie Davenport was ‘instant’ and he would have felt no pain, inquest hears

George Davenport, known as Freddie, was five at the time of his death.
Anne Lucey
Fri Oct 11 2024 - 13:04

A verdict of accidental death has been returned in the inquest into the death of a five-year-old boy who died when he fell off a quad bike driven by his grandfather in Cloghane, Dingle in August 2023.

The quad bike was towing a motorised mower and George Francis (Freddie) Davenport had become entangled in the mower, the inquest at the West Kerry Coroner’s Court in Tralee on Friday was told.

The accident had been “a horrific experience” for the entire family, West Kerry coroner Helen Lucey said. But it was an accident, she stressed.

Two other children who were also on the quad bike were uninjured, the inquest heard.

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Death would have would have been “immediate” and he would not have suffered, Pathologist Dr Margot Anne Bolster told the family at the inquest.

In a brief summary of the autopsy she carried out on August 7th at University Hospital Kerry, Dr Bolster said the boy had suffered very severe head injuries and injuries to his leg.

The coroner, Helen Lucey, returned a verdict of accidental death.

George Francis Davenport, known as Freddie, of Folkstone, Kent died on August 6th, 2023 at Liscarney, Cloghane. The cause of death – in line with the evidence of the pathologist, Dr Bolster – was polytrauma with severe traumatic brain injury due to roll-over injuries by a motorised vehicle.

Ms Lucey offered her deepest sympathy to the boy’s parents, Laura and David, the grandparents and grand uncle and all the Brown and Davenport families.

“Words cannot describe it,” the coroner said of the tragedy.

The only comfort was death was instantaneous and he would not have suffered, she said.

The child’s mother, Laura, who was in tears at the inquest was comforted by family.

The first witness was Frank Browne, the child’s grandfather, of Liscarney, Cloghane.

His deposition, read for him by Sgt Shane Thornton, said he was cutting grass at home and his grandson George was with him and sitting in the quad bike behind him. Two other children were also on the quad and he was driving slowly.

“When I looked around, George was gone,” he said. He jumped off and there was no sign of the child, he said.

When he found him in the mower he could see straight away he was dead.