Archie Battersbee’s devastated mum now says she doesn’t know how he died after first blaming TikTok challenge
ARCHIE Battersbee’s mum told an inquest today she doesn’t know how the teen died after first blaming an online challenge.
Archie died on August 6 when his life support was withdrawn despite a landmark legal battle to keep him alive.
Mum Hollie Dance had discovered him unconscious at home in Essex on April 7.
She previously said she believed he was taking part in an online challenge.
At a full inquest into Archie’s death today, Hollie said she cannot be sure of her original claims.
The mum added: “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.”
Hollie also revealed the harrowing moments after she discovered Archie unresponsive in his room.
She told the hearing she ran outside “screaming” as an ambulance was scrambled to the family home.
Hollie added: “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.”
Hollie said on April 7, she and Archie had lunch together at Pure Vegan before heading to Tesco.
The pair then returned home from their “normal day” and she made a call to her partner.
Hollie said her son then came in with the pet rabbit before they discussed a potential trip to the cinema later.
She said: “That was the last time I saw Archie before I found him unconscious five or ten minutes later.”
The court also heard Archie had spoken to friends about “negative thoughts” in the weeks before he collapsed.
Archie’s parents launched a mammoth legal battle to keep their son alive after he was found unconscious.
But they lost their fight at every hurdle, with judges ruling that keeping his life support switched on was not in the youngster’s “best interests”.
Hollie said today she always strived to “protect Archie from the dangers of the world”.
The inquest continues.