A British father had a ‘momentary lapse of attention’ before his two-year-old son fell out of a hotel window in Cyprus, his lawyer has today revealed. 

Joshua Foster, 37, an AI director at management consultants KPMG, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by ‘a rash, dangerous or reckless act’ hours after his son plunged from the fourth-floor balcony of the five-star King Evelthon Hotel on July 12.

Appearing at Paphos District Court on Tuesday the father, from Essex, pleaded guilty and is now facing a maximum sentence of four years in prison, the minimum being a fine.

Foster now has to wait two weeks until his sentencing on October 5 to learn his fate. He may be able to serve a suspended sentence in the UK if he is given less than three years.

He will be allowed to travel home for 10 days before he is sentenced at Paphos District Court. 

His lawyer, Alexandros Ch. Alexandrou, said: ‘Today, my client pleaded guilty to the charge arising from the tragic circumstances which resulted in the death of his two-year-old son.

‘This was a momentary lapse of attention, without any intention to cause harm, which had the most devastating and unimaginable consequences.’ 

The tragic incident occurred on the first day of their holiday when the 37-year-old reportedly put his son on a windowsill at the hotel while waiting for a lift believing the window was closed.

To his horror, the boy fell backwards and plunged 33ft. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Paphos General Hospital.

Foster was initially held on remand without charge for eight days in what local press described as Cypriot police’s ‘cruellest act’. 

His lawyer asked for the case to be thrown out on humanitarian grounds, arguing there was no public interest in continuing the prosecution.

Any prolonged criminal process, he added, would only deepen the family’s trauma.

Speaking to reporters, he said: ‘Last night he decided to plead guilty in order to end this story, to face whatever is going to be the penalty.

‘To go back to his family which is the most important thing in his mind, to support, grieve and stand with his family.’

He later added: ‘We will now present to the Court the relevant mitigating evidence and circumstances for consideration ahead of sentencing.

‘Since the horrific events which resulted in the loss of their beloved son, my client and his family have suffered unimaginable grief. They are living with a loss that no words can adequately describe.’ 

Mr Alexandrou said that before the guilty plea he had told his client what the procedures in Cyprus were and that a trial would have taken ‘many days’ and involved ‘pictures and evidence’ that would have been disturbing for the family.

He said his client was a ‘father who found himself in an unfortunate situation’, and that there was no intent.

Foster was forced to tell his five-year-old daughter of her brother’s death over FaceTime. 

She and her mother – a 38-year-old health professional – returned home to the UK at the end of July.

Toxicology reports found a very small quantity of alcohol, equivalent to one or two drinks, in the man’s blood.

Once he was formally charged, he was forced to pay a total of €30,000 (£25,750) in bail and was banned from leaving the island – though this was temporarily lifted on August 5 to allow him to bury his son. 

Today Foster was released from court on the same bail conditions after pleading guilty and will return to court for sentencing a week on Monday.

Of the toddler, a family member told the Daily Mail: ‘He was a truly special, easy-going little boy who brought so much joy to everyone around him.

The toddler was the third British tourist to die at the five-star King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos in four years

Foster placed the toddler on a windowsill at the King Evelthon Hotel, near Paphos, while waiting for the lift not realising the window was open.

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‘He was deeply adored and his infectious smile, warm cuddles and kind heart are already so deeply missed and always will be.’

Friends previously told the Daily Mail they were worried about how the family would survive if the legal proceedings continued. One said: ‘His main worry is about his daughter and his wife.

‘Obviously, he needs to go back to his job as soon as possible. I imagine his employer can’t keep his job open forever…’

Foster has worked at the Big Four accountancy firm KPMG since 2015 after graduating from Loughborough University, where he met his wife.

The couple, who live in Chelmsford, only last month celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.

They have travelled together extensively – including on a seven-month ‘megamoon’ to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Foster, who has been a keen tennis player since he was young, also used his tech skills to launch a start-up called Sportch in 2021.

It is described as the UK’s ‘number one tennis competition app’, and is used by 7,000 players from 400 clubs across the country.

Early last year he stepped down as chief executive, writing in a blog post: ‘This decision hasn’t been easy, but with two young children and significant commitments elsewhere, I know it’s vital to ensure that my personal bandwidth doesn’t inhibit the growth of Sportch.’

The Cypriot resort’s safety record has come under scrutiny after it emerged the child was the third British tourist to die there in four years.

Ben Woods, 21, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, drowned while playing volleyball in the hotel’s pool in July 2022.

Only the following year, six-year-old Ruaridh Nairne, from Inverness, also drowned.

And another woman reportedly died while swimming there in 2024.

When the Daily Mail visited the King Evelthon Hotel it found the large fourth-floor window was still open.

UK health and safety guidelines state hotel windows large enough that children can fall through should be restricted to an opening of 4in or less.

But in Cyprus the window must simply be above a ledge at least 3.5ft tall – which King Evelthon complies with.

Julian Donoher, 51, was given a hospital order at Derby Crown Court after admitting manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility following the fatal stabbing of his neighbour Gerard Ring, 82.

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An 82-year-old grea-grandfather was stabbed to death by his neighbour in a “vile, savage and inhumane attack” as he sat in his front garden. Killer Julian Donoher, 51, stashed the weapon and then left the scene.

CCTV footage presented at Derby Crown Court revealed Julian Donoher, 51, approaching Gerard Ring as he sat in his front garden, producing a knife from his pocket and launching the assault on the great-grandfather.

In the recording, Mr Ring, who relied on a mobility scooter and had numerous children, could be heard screaming. His courageous relatives wept and gasped within the courtroom while watching the harrowing scenes.

Following the fatal stabbing, the defendant then made an entirely false and delusional assertion that he had “killed a paedophile” and would be regarded as “a legend in prison”.

Imposing a hospital order upon Donoher, Judge Shaun Smith KC stated: “You have completely shattered the lives of Mr Ring’s family and they will never recover.”

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He continued: “They speak of their loss, what might have been, and the horror of what they went through. You brutally and repeatedly stabbed him and afterwards you put the knife in your pocket and walked away not caring about what you had done.”

Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, described Mr Ring as a much-cherished passionate gardener whose neighbours characterised him as “such a pleasant man”. He explained that from his early twenties, Donoher had been a “long-standing user of cannabis and alcohol who later turned to heroin, cocaine and Mamba” and resided near the victim.

The prosecution revealed that Mr Ring had been sat outside his residence in Whitecross Gardens, just off Kedleston Road, during the afternoon of September 6, 2025, reports Derbyshire Live. Mr Heywood explained: “At 2.55pm, Mr Donoher walked straight up to Mr Ring, who was seated, drew something from his pocket and began stabbing Mr Ring, ripping his head in the crook of his left arm as Mr Ring held his wrist as he did so.

“He made three more stabbing motions.”

The court viewed CCTV footage capturing the brutal assault. Mr Heywood continued: “Mr Ring managed to return inside his home, get inside and lock the door.

“He was still able to use his own phone to call 999 and explained to the operator he had been stabbed by a man he did not know.

“Five wounds were identified and he was conveyed to hospital where, despite the best efforts of the medics, he died at 6.30am on September 9.

“A neighbour asked Donoher what happened and he put his hands on her shoulders and said to her ‘I have killed a paedophile, don’t worry, darling, it’s alright’.

“It is right to say there is no truth at all in this suggestion, this was a delusional comment.”

Mr Heywood noted that upon his arrest, Donovan initially attempted to pin the stabbing on someone else. He informed officers he expected to be regarded as ‘a legend inside prison’ for killing a paedophile.

“He said he had not taken any of his medication for about nine months,” Mr Heywood stated.

The prosecution disclosed that three consultant psychiatrists had been appointed to evaluate Donoher. He stated that all three experts concluded he suffered from a chronic mental illness, with two confirming a diagnosis of schizo-affected disorder.

One of the experts noted that the killer’s use of illicit drugs was “a significant contributing factor” to the incident.

All three specialists recommended a hospital order rather than a custodial sentence, enabling him to continue receiving treatment in the interest of public safety.

Tracey Ring, Mr Ring’s eldest daughter, said: “(This was a) vile, savage, inhumane attack you imposed on my daddy.

“No-one should ever have to watch the horror we did.”

His daughter Kelly Charles said: “My world and life will never be the same again. It is like I am numb, not with it, in a bubble looking out at a world I cannot be part of.

“It has affected me and my children in the most shocking and heartbroken way and I am going to suffer for the rest of my days.”

In her statement, daughter Sapphire Greatorex said: “The trauma of the past year has totally shattered my life. Since his death I feel devastated and have lost my purpose in life.”

Son Gerard Ring added: “He was killed by a coward in his garden – his little spot of paradise where he should have been safe and sound.”

Donoher, of Whitecross Gardens, appeared this week via video-link from a secure unit. He denied murder last week but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, a plea which the prosecution accepted.

Mr Heywood noted that the defendant has an extensive history of prior court appearances for a range of offences.

The death of Mr Ring has brought a double tragedy upon Tracey Ring, his eldest daughter. Almost two decades to the day before the stabbing, her daughter, mum-of-one Lisa Smedley, was killed by a speeding, dangerous driver as she crossed Warwick Avenue in Derby.

The then 20-year-old victim was fatally injured as she crossed the ring road just days before the third birthday of her daughter, Versace, who is now aged 24.

Ahsan Mushtaq, then aged 23 and of Fairfield Road in Normanton, was jailed for four years and banned from driving for 10 years after he was found guilty of causing her death by dangerous driving.

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Aidan Thatcher has been the borough’s director of place since 2022. One of the most senior officers at the council, he was responsible for a wide range of headline services for the council including planning, housing, property and assets, building control, regeneration and economic development.

He headed the department which recommended approval of the controversial Astley warehouses development which was passed by the council’s planning committee in June 2024.

Among the huge projects brought forward during his tenure are the Galleries regeneration in the town centre into the Fettlers complex, the redevelopment at Eckersley mill within the Wigan pier area and attracting more than £20m of regeneration money to transform Haigh Hall.

The Astley logistics park has been roundly criticised for its size and proximity to homes in Tyldesley. An independent report last year concluded that the council had followed planning processes correctly.

The council has also recently changed tack on some employment and new homes projects set to be built on green spaces in the borough.

Last month, four such projects were left out of the draft local plan after being included in earlier strategic development plans.

The document greenlit for public consultation excludes development of The Bell, north of Junction 26 of the M6, the Moss Industrial Estate extension, a pocket of land West of Winwick Lane in Lowton, and the Bridgewater West allocation, which would have seen former greenbelt land in Astley allocated for a huge business park.

Mr Thatcher is a high profile figure in the world of local government and in 2022 delivered a keynote speech at LGC Future Places conference entitled ‘Creating inspiring places; building strong communities’.

He has more than 20 years of experience working within place based services and is a full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

It is understood Mr Thatcher left the council post to pursue new challenges.

Reacting to Mr Thatcher’s resignation, Cllr James Fish, an independent member for Tyldesley and Mosley Common said: “I have repeatedly challenged the direction taken by the place directorate, particularly when it comes to major development, green belt and the way residents’ concerns have been handled.

“For me, the Astley warehouses will be a lasting example of what went wrong. “Huge warehouses were approved close to people’s homes and Garrett Hall Primary School, despite serious concerns being raised about the impact on the surrounding community.

“I believe Wigan Council and our communities need a different direction.”

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “During his time at Wigan council, Aidan has made a valued contribution to the organisation and to the borough.

“He has provided leadership across a wide range of services and programmes and has worked with colleagues, partners and communities to support the council’s priorities.”

Mr Thatcher declined to comment when approached about his leaving Wigan council.

On his YouTube show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, Morgan read out a section of the book – which was published on 22 September – in which Earl Spencer wrote: “They realised they were unable to be rude to the brother of the much-mourned princess…

“The only one who sounded surly, as opposed to merely confused or embarrassed, was Piers Morgan of the Mirror, who snarled with annoyance before he hung up.

“I assumed Morgan must be feeling particular guilt because, four years earlier, he and his Sunday Mirror counterpart had published photographs taken with hidden cameras by a gym owner. They were of Diana working out in a leotard.

“This was such an intolerable invasion of her privacy that Diana instructed lawyers to sue the Mirror Group and to block further use of the images.”

The settlement Princess Diana’s lawyers came to in 1995 was never publicly disclosed, but it was believed that Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) paid Princess Diana’s legal costs of about £1m and about £200,000 to charities of her choice.

A spokesperson for Princess Diana’s brother said in a statement: “Earl Spencer’s account of his conversation with Piers Morgan is accurate. Mr Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral.”

The statement admitted the factual error, and said that “as an historian, accuracy is important to Earl Spencer. He therefore wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error“.

Speaking to the BBC, Morgan said: “He’s a historian. He should want it removed from the shelves. Why, if you’re doing this for historical record, would you want such a completely untrue series of claims over several pages about a public figure to still be in that book?

“Now you’ve admitted it’s untrue and apologised. He should pull the book.”

In a post on social media on Tuesday, Morgan said he was “pursuing legal action against him and his publisher Penguin to have the lies removed, and damages paid to the King’s Trust”.

Julian Donoher was given a hospital order after admitting manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility for fatally stabbing neighbour Gerard Ring, 82.

An 82-year-old great-grandfather was fatally stabbed by his neighbour in a “vile, savage and inhumane attack” while sitting in his front garden. Perpetrator Julian Donoher, 51, concealed the weapon before departing the scene.

CCTV evidence shown at Derby Crown Court captured Julian Donoher, 51, advancing towards Gerard Ring as he sat outside his home, retrieving a blade from his pocket and commencing the assault on the great-grandfather.

In the footage, Mr Ring, who depended on a mobility scooter and had numerous children, could be heard crying out. His brave family members wept and gasped in the courtroom while viewing the distressing footage.

After the deadly stabbing, the defendant then made a completely false and delusional claim that he had “killed a paedophile” and would be considered “a legend in prison”.

Handing down a hospital order to Donoher, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “You have completely shattered the lives of Mr Ring’s family and they will never recover.”

He added: “They speak of their loss, what might have been, and the horror of what they went through. You brutally and repeatedly stabbed him and afterwards you put the knife in your pocket and walked away not caring about what you had done.”

Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, portrayed Mr Ring as a deeply beloved and enthusiastic gardener, whom neighbours described as “such a pleasant man”. He outlined how Donoher, from his early twenties, had been a “long-standing user of cannabis and alcohol who later turned to heroin, cocaine and Mamba” and lived in close proximity to the victim.

The prosecution detailed how Mr Ring had been sitting outside his home in Whitecross Gardens, just off Kedleston Road, on the afternoon of 6 September 2025, reports Derbyshire Live. Mr Heywood stated: “At 2.55pm, Mr Donoher walked straight up to Mr Ring, who was seated, drew something from his pocket and began stabbing Mr Ring, ripping his head in the crook of his left arm as Mr Ring held his wrist as he did so.

“He made three more stabbing motions.”

The courtroom was shown CCTV footage documenting the savage attack. Mr Heywood went on: “Mr Ring managed to return inside his home, get inside and lock the door.

“He was still able to use his own phone to call 999 and explained to the operator he had been stabbed by a man he did not know.

“Five wounds were identified and he was conveyed to hospital where, despite the best efforts of the medics, he died at 6.30am on September 9.

“A neighbour asked Donoher what happened and he put his hands on her shoulders and said to her ‘I have killed a paedophile, don’t worry, darling, it’s alright’.

“It is right to say there is no truth at all in this suggestion, this was a delusional comment.”

Mr Heywood revealed that following his detention, Donovan first tried to blame another individual for the stabbing. He told police he anticipated being viewed as ‘a legend inside prison’ for murdering a paedophile.

“He said he had not taken any of his medication for about nine months,” Mr Heywood stated.

The prosecution revealed that three consultant psychiatrists had been commissioned to assess Donoher. He explained that all three professionals determined he was afflicted with a chronic mental illness, with two confirming a diagnosis of schizo-affected disorder.

One of the specialists observed that the killer’s consumption of illegal substances was “a significant contributing factor” to the incident.

All three practitioners advocated for a hospital order instead of imprisonment, allowing him to maintain treatment in the interests of public protection.

Tracey Ring, Mr Ring’s eldest daughter, said: “(This was a) vile, savage, inhumane attack you imposed on my daddy.

“No-one should ever have to watch the horror we did.”

His daughter Kelly Charles said: “My world and life will never be the same again. It is like I am numb, not with it, in a bubble looking out at a world I cannot be part of.

“It has affected me and my children in the most shocking and heartbroken way and I am going to suffer for the rest of my days.”

In her statement, daughter Sapphire Greatorex said: “The trauma of the past year has totally shattered my life. Since his death I feel devastated and have lost my purpose in life.”

Son Gerard Ring stated: “He was killed by a coward in his garden – his little spot of paradise where he should have been safe and sound.”

Donoher, from Whitecross Gardens, made a court appearance this week by video-link from a secure facility. While denying murder last week, he admitted to manslaughter based on diminished responsibility, which prosecutors accepted.

Mr Heywood observed that the accused possesses a lengthy criminal record spanning various offences.

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Mr Ring’s death has inflicted double heartache upon Tracey Ring, his eldest daughter. Nearly two decades before the fatal stabbing, almost to the exact date, her daughter, mum-of-one Lisa Smedley, lost her life when struck by a speeding, reckless motorist while crossing Warwick Avenue in Derby.

The then 20-year-old was fatally wounded as she traversed the ring road mere days before her daughter Versace’s third birthday, who is now 24.

Ahsan Mushtaq, then 23 and residing on Fairfield Road in Normanton, received a four-year prison sentence and a decade-long driving ban after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

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