Staffordshire coroner, Fiona Gingell, has ruled there will be no formal inquest into the death of schoolboy Louis Watkiss, who died at Tamworth’s SnowDome
17:35, 07 Nov 2025Updated 17:43, 07 Nov 2025
Louis Watkiss was just 12 when he died after an incident at a tobogganing party at Tamworth’s SnowDome
The family of a Birmingham schoolboy killed at a snow sports venue have expressed their disappointment and anger after a coroner confirmed there will be no formal inquest into his tragic death.
Fiona Gingell, coroner for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, made the decision at a pre-inquest review hearing held at Stafford Coroner’s Court in the town’s County Building on Friday (November 7).
Ms Gingell had considered submissions on behalf of Louis’ family, who live in Sutton Coldfield, and the SnowDome into the tragic incident on Friday, September 24, 2021 at the Tamworth venue.
Read more: SnowDome ordered to pay £116k after schoolboy dies at birthday party
Louis had been attending a tobogganing birthday party for a friend when a member of staff, Joseph Dibb, collided with the 12-year-old as he came down the slope on a toboggan and fell on him.
Louis suffered a catastrophic head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ms Gingell found the issues to be determined by an inquest – namely who died and where, when and how they died – had already been determined by the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) criminal investigation, which concluded earlier this year.
As a result of this, she said no formal inquest would take place into his death. But an inquest based on the paperwork – an ‘inquest in writing’ – is expected to take place and a written conclusion issued.
SnowDome in Tamworth.
Louis’ family reacted angrily to the decision with his dad, Chris, and grandad, Richard, visibly upset in the court room. Chris criticised the police for a 28-day delay in interviewing the man who fell on his son.
Keith Morton KC, representing the SnowDome had set out why a formal inquest should not take place. Richard praised the SnowDome for their choice of lawyer, saying: “You chose your legal representative excellently.”
The family were upset that more than four years after Louis’ death nothing has changed – the snow leisure industry is not regulated and there is no requirement for helmets to be worn while toboganning.
They said the risks to children, and adults, remain as high now as they did when Louis tragically lost his life.
Family’s anger and disappointment
After the hearing Louis’ dad and mum, Chris and Natalie Watkiss spoke to BirminghamLive.
Chris said: “Raw emotion at the end there. Anger, bewilderment, astonishment, disappointment
“It’s been such a long, long journey and for it to end in a wishy washy way.
Louis Watkiss’s mum and dad, Chris and Natalie spoke of their ‘anger and disappointment’ after coroner, Fiona Gingell, said there would be no formal inquest in open court into their son’s death
“Every valid point that [Louis’ mum] Natalie had made as to why we should have an inquest, which I thought would have been a pre-requisite when a child dies, was just kind of rebutted with such nonchalance.
“Very, very disappointed but I am not entirely surprised. I wouldn’t be lying by saying I knew this was coming.
“But it just sums up how this whole journey’s been. Mistake after mistake. Delay after delay.”
Louis’ mum, Natalie, added the family wanted a formal inquest for ‘public confidence and reform’.
Read more: Parents of schoolboy killed in SnowDome slope crash blasts fine as ‘ridiculous’
She said: “We’ve quickly learned along the way that the inquest process is the most brutal part of any part of this investigation.
“Because the chance when you get to have a voice is when you get to realise, wow, my gosh you don’t really have one.
“And what’s come out of this for us. Since the sentencing in February there hasn’t been an opportunity where the public would have had more awareness and access to the wider issues that I had submitted to be addressed.
“What’s been closed down today is a very disappointing and missed opportunity to learn, share that knowledge and make change and not contain information.
“It’s a disappointment that the very organisation that created all of this for us to be here isn’t the organisation that will step forward and make wider systemic change in a snow sector that is unregulated and still has risk.”
Read more: SnowDome tragedy was ‘preventable’ says HSE as it issues risk assessment warning
At the hearing, coroner Ms Gingell had set out the scene and explained what happened on September 24, 2021, and the following investigations.
She said Staffordshire Police had handed over primacy of the investigation to the HSE.
And in February, the SnowDome admitted breaching section 3 of Health and Safety at Work Act – a duty to keep non-employees safe at its premises.
The SnowDome was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £16,000 in costs.
The Health and Safety Executive said Louis’ death was ‘preventable’.
But the family had wanted a formal inquest in a coroner’s court with evidence called, while the SnowDome had argued for the inquest to be based on the paperwork only.
Ms Gingell said she had to decide whether there was sufficient reason to hold a formal inquest – ‘for the coronial investigation to be resumed’ – to help with issues like ‘achieving a greater consistency between coroners’.
She received written submissions from both sides along with an additional statement from the pathologist.
Louis’ family had requested a formal inquest, citing issues they say were not covered in the HSE prosecution, including the emergency planning and what they said were delays in the 999 response, and whether Louis could have survived with a better response.
Read more: Parents of schoolboy in ‘indescribable pain’ on anniversary of SnowDome death
They also wanted answers to other issues like the integrity of the toboggan used and its braking system, staff conduct and positioning, and wanted the CCTV of the incident released.
The SnowDome’s bosses said they did not think there should be a coronial investigation and if there were one, it should not repeat what had already been heard in court at the Health and Safety Executive-led prosecution sentencing hearing in February.
The pathologist said in her opinion the injuries Louis suffered – skull fractures – were not survivable.
Coroner’s decision
Ms Gingell said the HSE investigation report was read out in full in open court at the sentencing hearing.
She said ‘there must be good reason for me to exercise my discretion in a particular way’ and said every decision is ‘case specific’. She said an inquest was ‘not a public inquiry’.
She added that the pathologist had ‘no concerns over the emergency response’.
Ms Gingell referred to the expert’s report used in the HSE prosecution regarding the toboggan and said it had been checked against another one and there were ‘no relevant differences’ and that it ‘did not contribute to the incident’.
Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox
She also said staff conduct at the SnowDome had been subject to a ‘detailed investigation’ by the HSE.
On the prevention of future deaths, Ms Gingell said: “There is clearly a very important issue that arises, the provision of safety helmets.”
But this was not a sufficient reason for the inquest to be resumed and an inquest held.
Ms Gingell noted that Louis’ family in their earlier submission had said there were ‘many questions to be asked’.
But she added: “The focus of any inquest is on what actually took place and the HSE criminal prosecution has established that.”
She said: “The way Louis lost his life and the fact he was a child is not a reason to have an inquest. My role is to apply the law.”
Ms Gingell said: “There was no part of the statutory investigation that needs to be carried out.
“I therefore don’t determine there’s sufficient reason to resume the coronial investigation and hold an inquest in to Louis’ death.”
She added she wanted to express her ‘condolences’ to the family before she left the court.