Kyle Rees's death from hockey ball at school was accidental, inquest rules

Bournemouth schoolboy was hit in the head during 'playful ball fight' and friend did not intend to harm Kyle, coroners court rules
Kyle Rees death
Flowers and tributes to Kyle Rees outside Portchester school in Bournemouth, Dorset. Photograph: Chris Ison/PA

The death of a 16-year-old schoolboy who was hit by a hockey ball thrown by a friend and fellow pupil was a tragic accident, an inquest jury has found.

Kyle Rees was hit on the head at close range and with full force by the practice ball in the playground of Portchester school in Bournemouth, Dorset, as boys threw balls and other objects at each other in a "playful ball fight".

He suffered a severe head injury that he could not have survived and died in hospital the following day.

In a narrative verdict today, in which the circumstances of the death are recorded without attributing the cause to a named individual, the jury at Bournemouth coroners court said: "The friend did not intend to harm Kyle or anybody."

The verdict also said that there had been no previous concerns about supervision for the boys during the changeover time before the incident.

The three-day hearing heard the ball was thrown from a metre away at the end of the ball fight on 27 February after teachers had told the boys to go to classes.

Detective Sergeant Trevor Hawkins told the court that Kyle had got in the way at the last minute.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but he was not charged. He was described as "extremely upset and distraught when he realised his friend was dead".

After he was hit, Kyle said he had to lie down and was described as foaming at the mouth and rolling his eyes as a teacher and then paramedics tried to save him.

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