Archie Battersbee’s father has been rushed into hospital after fears he may have suffered a stroke or a heart attack on the same day judges have ruled in favour of turning off his son’s life support machine.
Paul Battersbee was taken into hospital before the hearing in London and his condition is currently unclear. However, since then appeal judges have ruled that medics can lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to Archie.
Doctors have argued it is futile to carry on treating the 12-year-old after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury when a social media dare apparently went wrong. A lawyer representing Archie’s parents tried to get the ruling postponed following revelations that Hollie Dance, 46, believes her son had tried to breathe independently and that Paul Battersee had been rushed to hospital.
The judges refused to delay today’s decision, according to Mirror Online. Archie’s parents are being supported by a campaign organisation called the Christian Legal Centre.
Andrea Williams, the chief executive, said outside court: “I am very disappointed that they have not adjourned this decision given that Mr Battersbee has been taken to hospital. I’ve been in touch with Archie’s mother - she is disgusted.”
On Friday, three Court of Appeal judges finished hearing arguments about what is in Archie’s best interests. Today, Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the Family Division of the High Court and the most senior family court judge in England and Wales, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Peter Jackson delivered their ruling.
This was another appeal bid from Archie’s parents, of Southend, Essex, after a High Court judge ruled that doctors could lawfully stop treatment. Mr Justice Hayden delivered a ruling recently after reviewing evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
He described what had happened to Archie as a “tragedy of immeasurable dimensions”, but said medical evidence was “compelling and unanimous” and painted a “bleak” picture. Archie’s parents said he made errors and want appeal judges to remit the case to another High Court judge for another hearing.
Judges have heard how medical evidence shows that Archie is in a “comatose state”.
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