Cyprus court allows British dad to return home after son's fatal fall at holiday resort

A British father has avoided prison after pleading guilty to negligence over the death of his three-year-old son, who fell from a fourth-floor hotel window in Cyprus.

Joshua Patric Foster, 38, was fined €3,000 by Paphos District Court on Friday.

The child died on July 12 after falling 12 metres from a window at the King Evelthon Hotel, where the family was staying on holiday.

According to evidence presented in court, Foster had lifted his son towards the window after the boy asked to see the hotel's waterpark. The child slipped from his father's hands and fell.

Judge Froso Christodoulidou ruled that imprisonment was unnecessary, describing the death as a tragic accident.

“In this case, a prison sentence can be avoided,” she said.

Although Foster had consumed alcohol, the judge found no evidence that he was impaired enough to act recklessly.

She also considered his guilty plea, cooperation with police, clean criminal record and remorse.

Foster cried during the hearing and hugged his parents after the verdict.

His lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, argued that the incident was “a momentary error without any serious type of negligence or any conscious disregard for the safety of the child.”

The lawyer confirmed that Foster could return to Britain as early as Friday or Saturday.