Archie, whose parents fought a long but ultimately unsuccessful legal battle to prevent his life support being switched off, suffered the injury on April 7 at his home in Southend, Essex, when a ligature was found above his head. His mother, Hollie Dance, said she believed he was involved in the blackout. He wants his inquest to examine how social media may have contributed to his death. At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday in Chelmsford, Essex, DI Sarah Weeks read a police report which said Archie, 12, accessed TikTok on his mobile phone on April 7. He said officers have not been able to ascertain what he was watching and may never be able to. However, photos and videos taken from his phone did not provide evidence that Archie was involved in the blackout challenge, Weeks said. The officer added that a download of messages from Archie’s phone taken that morning “reflected Archie’s mood” in the months before his death. He agreed when Essex’s chief coroner, Lincoln Brookes, reported them to be in “very low spirits”. Brookes said: “There is no evidence at this stage to substantiate Ms Dance’s concern/fear of [Archie’s involvement in] causing choking or causing obfuscation, whether on TikTok or any other platform.” Phone checks will continue and police will examine Archie’s Mac and Xbox, which were also removed from his home by officers on April 7. They were asked to compile a report based on all the information gathered from Archie’s electronic devices by December 16, although Brookes urged Weeks to contact him if anything new came to light before then. Dance’s lawyers have asked that TikTok be made an interested party in the inquiry, which would mean it could be called to testify. But the coroner said there was not enough information for that to happen at this time. Speaking after the hearing, Steven Horsley, of solicitors Simpson Millar, who is representing Dance, said: “Archie was using TikTok on the day of his injury, although many of us will never know what he was looking at. The police have yet to examine his other two devices, but the court said they should.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The court was also told that Dance had concerns about taking Archie to Southend Hospital initially instead of directly to the Royal London Hospital, which is a neurological center and where Archie’s life support was withdrawn on August 6. Bart’s Health NHS trust, which includes the Royal London, East of England Ambulance Service and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation, (home to Southend Hospital), were represented at the hearing. The full investigation is scheduled to take place on February 7, 2023.
