British father fined for causing death of his two-year-old son in Cyprus

A British father has been fined €3,000 (£2,500) for causing the death of his two-year-old son who fell from the fourth floor of a hotel in Cyprus.

Joshua Foster, 37, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death through a reckless, rash or dangerous act.

Foster, an auditor from Essex, was sentenced at Paphos District Court on Friday over the death of the toddler while on a family holiday at King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Chlorakas on 12 July.

The court previously heard that Foster thought the window was closed when he placed the boy on the windowsill so he could see the waterpark and "lost control" of him.

Foster held back tears as the sentence was read out by district judge Froso Christodoulidou, and hugged his lawyers and parents after the 25-minute hearing.

He told reporters outside the court: "Thank you for the support. I'm looking forward to going home and being with my wife and daughter."

Speaking through a translator, Foster's lawyer Alexandros Alexandrou said: "I met an incredible father, a very good husband and an exemplary family man with a beautiful family behind him, that support him, that embraces him, that has always been by his side with all the means that they have at their disposal."

He added that the case should never have gone to court and that proceedings had interrupted Foster's grieving.

Mr Alexandrou went on: "They (the family) need to go back (to the UK) to grieve properly and allow themselves to grieve (after) they have been in a defence mode during this procedure."

Foster's son fell nearly 40ft from a fourth-floor window, the court previously heard.

Foster, his wife and two children, and in-laws had arrived in Cyprus in the early hours of that morning, and the family had spent time in the pool before returning to their rooms to get ready for dinner.

His lawyer told the court that Foster had been enjoying "a pleasant, joyous moment of their life while on vacation" when his son noticed the waterpark.

Foster placed him on the windowsill, not realising that section of the window was open.

It was then that the "inconceivable" unfolded and the boy fell from the window in a moment that will "haunt him for the rest of his life".

The boy was pronounced dead at Paphos General Hospital, despite efforts to resuscitate him.

Foster said that "the boy fell before he had a chance to grab him" in a voluntary statement to police.

The window was 2.85m (9.3ft) wide and 1.2m (3.9ft) high, the court heard.

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Foster provided a blood sample at the hospital afterwards, and the alcohol concentration in his blood was estimated to be 124mg at the time of the incident, the court heard.

His lawyer said there was no testimony that he was drunk, and the alcohol consumption did not form a significant part of the case against the defendant.

Foster has no previous convictions and his remorse "is clear", the lawyer added.

(c) Sky News 2026: British father fined for causing death of his two-year-old son in Cyprus