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| Toddler hanged by roller blind cord, inquest hears | Toddler hanged by roller blind cord, inquest hears |
| (30 days later) | |
| The two-year-old daughter of one of Britain's richest men died after becoming entangled in a blind cord in her bedroom, an inquest has heard. | The two-year-old daughter of one of Britain's richest men died after becoming entangled in a blind cord in her bedroom, an inquest has heard. |
| Alexandra Hoegh died in her top-floor room at the family's four-storey house in Notting Hill, in west London, last October. | Alexandra Hoegh died in her top-floor room at the family's four-storey house in Notting Hill, in west London, last October. |
| The inquest heard the toddler was found by her nanny, Melinda De La Cruz, when she went to wake her from an afternoon nap while her mother, Dana Hoegh, chatted to a friend downstairs in the kitchen. | The inquest heard the toddler was found by her nanny, Melinda De La Cruz, when she went to wake her from an afternoon nap while her mother, Dana Hoegh, chatted to a friend downstairs in the kitchen. |
| Alexandra, who was three weeks away from her third birthday, was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in the street by her mother as they waited for an ambulance. | Alexandra, who was three weeks away from her third birthday, was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in the street by her mother as they waited for an ambulance. |
| Westminster coroner's court heard how police had found her and her friend, Catherine Mathiesen, crying in the street as paramedics fought to revive the child. | Westminster coroner's court heard how police had found her and her friend, Catherine Mathiesen, crying in the street as paramedics fought to revive the child. |
| Hoegh told the inquest the nanny, a Filipina who trained in childcare in her native country but did not complete the course, had arrived late for work, at 1.50pm. She took over from her mother, Andrea, who cleaned and helped nanny for the Hoeghs, apologised to Hoegh, and then went upstairs to get the toddler at around 2.10pm. | Hoegh told the inquest the nanny, a Filipina who trained in childcare in her native country but did not complete the course, had arrived late for work, at 1.50pm. She took over from her mother, Andrea, who cleaned and helped nanny for the Hoeghs, apologised to Hoegh, and then went upstairs to get the toddler at around 2.10pm. |
| "A couple of minutes after that, we heard a scream, then another scream," Hoegh told the inquest. | "A couple of minutes after that, we heard a scream, then another scream," Hoegh told the inquest. |
| "We went to the door of the kitchen and met Melinda with Alexandra. | "We went to the door of the kitchen and met Melinda with Alexandra. |
| "She was blue. She was not breathing. | "She was blue. She was not breathing. |
| "I ran downstairs into the street. I asked my friend Catherine to call an ambulance and started mouth-to-mouth on her [Alexandra] on the pavement." | "I ran downstairs into the street. I asked my friend Catherine to call an ambulance and started mouth-to-mouth on her [Alexandra] on the pavement." |
| She added that Alexandra's colour came back straight away from the cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The child was a little sick but responded no further. She was taken to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, where she was pronounced dead at 3.17pm. | She added that Alexandra's colour came back straight away from the cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The child was a little sick but responded no further. She was taken to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, where she was pronounced dead at 3.17pm. |
| Alexandra's father, Morten Hoegh, 39, is the chairman of Hoegh LNG, a multibillion-pound oil- and gas-shipping company based in Norway. | Alexandra's father, Morten Hoegh, 39, is the chairman of Hoegh LNG, a multibillion-pound oil- and gas-shipping company based in Norway. |
| He runs the business between London and Oslo, and appears on the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £175m. | He runs the business between London and Oslo, and appears on the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £175m. |
| Dana Hoegh said her daughter, the youngest of the couple's three children, had been her usual, happy self and had been to her playgroup that morning. | Dana Hoegh said her daughter, the youngest of the couple's three children, had been her usual, happy self and had been to her playgroup that morning. |
| The inquest heard Alexandra was "very adept" at climbing in and out of her cot, using a table next to it. The cot was by the window, which had a roller blind fitted. | The inquest heard Alexandra was "very adept" at climbing in and out of her cot, using a table next to it. The cot was by the window, which had a roller blind fitted. |
| Hoegh added: "I insisted that day she have a nap because she had woken up at 3am." | Hoegh added: "I insisted that day she have a nap because she had woken up at 3am." |
| The coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, recorded a verdict of accidental death. | The coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, recorded a verdict of accidental death. |
| The inquest heard the beaded blind cord was within Alexandra's reach if she stood up in the cot. | The inquest heard the beaded blind cord was within Alexandra's reach if she stood up in the cot. |
| Wilcox said she would write to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) asking it to talk to blind manufacturers about putting warnings on their products. | Wilcox said she would write to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) asking it to talk to blind manufacturers about putting warnings on their products. |
| Giving the cause of death as asphyxiation caused by hanging, Dr Wilcox said Dana Hoegh had been "extraordinarily brave" to give evidence. | Giving the cause of death as asphyxiation caused by hanging, Dr Wilcox said Dana Hoegh had been "extraordinarily brave" to give evidence. |
| "Alexandra died as a result of an accidental suspension after unfortunately becoming tangled with a window blind cord next to her crib," she said. | "Alexandra died as a result of an accidental suspension after unfortunately becoming tangled with a window blind cord next to her crib," she said. |
| "This is a tragic and appalling death, and I cannot imagine how her family must feel. | "This is a tragic and appalling death, and I cannot imagine how her family must feel. |
| "I will make inquiries with the HSE to find out whether such blinds already have warnings on them, with the risk of becoming entangled with children causing such deaths." | "I will make inquiries with the HSE to find out whether such blinds already have warnings on them, with the risk of becoming entangled with children causing such deaths." |
| She added that if no previous coroner had called for such warnings to be in place, and they were not already added to blinds, she would ask the HSE to encourage manufacturers to add them. | She added that if no previous coroner had called for such warnings to be in place, and they were not already added to blinds, she would ask the HSE to encourage manufacturers to add them. |
| Andrea De La Cruz told the inquest she had collected Alexandra from playgroup around midday. She had fed Alexandra, after which the toddler spent some time with her mother. They then put her in her cot shortly after 1pm. | Andrea De La Cruz told the inquest she had collected Alexandra from playgroup around midday. She had fed Alexandra, after which the toddler spent some time with her mother. They then put her in her cot shortly after 1pm. |
| She said she had left the youngster with a book and then gone to do some washing, taking a baby monitor with her. | She said she had left the youngster with a book and then gone to do some washing, taking a baby monitor with her. |
| She said she could hear Alexandra chatting, but when she fell silent after a while, assumed she had gone to sleep. | She said she could hear Alexandra chatting, but when she fell silent after a while, assumed she had gone to sleep. |
| The cleaner had not gone to the bedroom again before her daughter took over and raised the alarm, she said. | The cleaner had not gone to the bedroom again before her daughter took over and raised the alarm, she said. |
| The inquest heard that Mathiesen and Hoegh were so distressed it took the 999 operator two minutes to establish their address in order to send an ambulance. | The inquest heard that Mathiesen and Hoegh were so distressed it took the 999 operator two minutes to establish their address in order to send an ambulance. |
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