A Paphos District Court judge sentenced an Essex man to pay a €3,000 (£2,500) fine following the death of his two-year-old son, who fell from a fourth-floor hotel window in Cyprus. Joshua Foster, 37, pleaded guilty to causing death through a reckless, rash, or dangerous act. The incident occurred at the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas during the first day of a family holiday.
The court heard that the incident took place around 18:00 on July 12, shortly after Foster arrived in Cyprus with his wife, two children, and in-laws. While walking toward a lift to go to dinner, Foster placed his son on a windowsill to show him a view of a nearby waterpark. Foster stated in a voluntary police report that he believed the window was closed, but the child fell nearly 40 feet (12.1 meters) before Foster could react. The child was later pronounced dead at Paphos General Hospital.
District Judge Froso Christodoulidou noted that the window did not have markings that would have necessarily alerted Foster to the fact that a section was open. The judge described the event as a "momentary error" and stated there was no evidence that Foster deliberately exposed his child to danger. While Foster had alcohol in his system at the time, the court heard it was not a significant factor in the case, and his lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, stated there was no testimony indicating Foster was drunk.
The scale of the incident involved a single family and a fine equivalent to approximately £2,500. The judge's remarks regarding the lack of window markings may also draw attention to safety standards at international resorts, specifically the five-star King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort where the fall occurred. However, no specific changes to hotel policy or regional safety regulations were reported as a direct result of this sentencing.
The legal proceedings concluded with the sentencing on a Friday morning. Foster's lawyer argued the case should not have gone to court, citing the defendant's status as an "exemplary family man." Following the court's decision, Foster is permitted to return to his home in Essex. No further court dates or appeals were reported. Managers or representatives for the King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort did not provide a statement in the reported text regarding any future safety modifications to their facilities.