Boy, 6, dies after falling out of window while reading bedtime story

A six-year-old boy who fell to his death while reading a ‘Mr Men’ book was leaning out his window because his bedroom was too hot, a court has heard.

William Coy suffered traumatic brain injuries when he landed on the concrete patio of his family’s home in July 2018 — during the height of the British summer.

The little boy, who had lived with his family in the English city of Lincoln in the East Midlands, had been up and down all night, his father told an inquest, according to The Sun.

“He had come down the stairs three times that night,” Richard Coy said.

"The first time was for a cuddle, the second time was for a drink and the third time was to use the toilet.

"After the third time I told him to stop messing about and get into bed.”

The father was then asked by William’s sister why the boy was sleeping outside about 10 minutes after he was sent back to bed a final time.

The Sun reports Mr Coy opened the back door to find his son on the ground and “started screaming”.

“[I was] shouting in complete panic and shouted to [William’s sister] Lydia to get my phone. There was blood coming from his nose.”

William’s father told the court he had called emergency services and the six-year-old was rushed to hospital in Nottingham. He died two days later.

The book was later found in the garden.

According to The Sun, Mr Coy told the court he had raised the issue of the lack of window security in the family’s rental property more than once but it hadn’t been followed up.

William’s death subsequently reignited the discussion around secure windows in children’s bedrooms.

Mr Coy, who was supervising his two children alone the night William died while his wife was out, spoke of his distress over the way he spoke to the six-year-old on the night of the accident.

“It upset me that I had shouted at William to go to bed,” he told the court.

Detective Inspector Lee St Quinton said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding William’s death.

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