Toddler Bronson Battersby’s time of death not known – Coroner

“Bronson’s circumstances are unusual,” the coroner said.

“At present we do not have any clear factual basis as to when Bronson passed away.

“A key issue at this stage is a clear timeline of Bronson’s death,” she said.

The review heard Bronson took selfies on a phone on the morning of 31 December at the flat and a witness also heard Mr Battersby shouting at his son that same night.

A pathology report showed Mr Battersby’s cause of death was a sudden cardiac event.

However, a post-mortem was unable to establish how long he had been dead before they were both found on 9 January.

A post-mortem for Bronson showed he had low body fat and muscle, which showed – at least in part – a lack of nourishment and fluid.

The coroner told the court it was hoped witnesses and expert opinion, including a metabolic expert and a paediatric review, might be able to shed further light on the times of their deaths.