'Save my baby': Autistic mother's anguished screams for help as she found the lifeless body of her Down's syndrome son, 10, suspended from a makeshift curtain after he'd been playing in his bedroom

  • Jodie Tuckey found Ashton's lifeless body at their home in Binstead, Isle of Wight
  • Mother then ran outside with  her young son, shouting 'help me, help me, please'
  • Neighbours attempted to save him but Ashton was pronounced dead in hospital 
  • Inquest heard the cover was used because Ashton kept pulling at the old curtain

An autistic mother screamed 'save my baby' after finding her Down's syndrome son hanging from a duvet cover which was being used as a curtain, an inquest has heard.

Jodie Tuckey found her 10-year-old son Ashton's lifeless body tangled in the cover at their home in Binstead, Isle of Wight, after he had been playing in his bedroom. 

The 32-year-old then ran outside with her son, screaming to neighbours: 'Help me, help me, please. I do not want him to go.'

Jodie Tuckey found her 10-year-old son Ashton's lifeless body tangled in a duvet cover. The boy was taken to St Mary's Hospital in the Isle of Wight (pictured) but was unable to be saved

Jodie Tuckey found her 10-year-old son Ashton's lifeless body tangled in a duvet cover after he had been playing in his bedroom. The boy was taken to St Mary's Hospital in the Isle of Wight (pictured) but was unable to be saved

But, despite neighbours attempting to resuscitate him before police and paramedics arrived, the youngster could not be saved.

Ashton, who was taken to St Mary's Hospital by ambulance, died as a result of 'compression to the neck'.

At an inquest into his death, neighbour Olga Kirwood-Slack said Ms Tuckey shouted 'I love him' as she begged residents for help. 

Describing how she ran out into the street after the harrowing discovery in December 2014, she added: 'The incident was truly devastating to watch, I could feel the lady's pain.'  

Another neighbour Jennet Scribbens said Ms Tuckey told her that she had found her son tangled up in the curtain.

She said: 'He had been playing and had been fine, it then went quiet. She said she came into the room and thought he was looking out of the window and spoke to him but he didn't answer.

'She went towards him and realised he was lifeless, hanging from the curtains.

'She kept saying he had wrapped himself up in the curtain and she thought he was looking out.'

She added that Ms Tuckey kept calling out 'save my baby' as she tried to calm her down.

PC Hannah Pothecary said that Ms Tuckey blamed herself, telling her at the hospital: 'It's all my fault.' 

Ashton's grandmother, Kathleen Tuckey, 64, told the hearing she received a phone call from her daughter and drove round to find him surrounded by people attempting to help him.

She said the duvet cover had been used as a curtain because Ashton, who also had autism, would pull at the old curtain.

She said: 'We had used black-out blinds but thought it was safer to have the duvet fastened against the window.

'No-one had raised any concerns about the duvet in the past, Social Services had seen it and not made any comments.'

The inquest heard that Ms Tuckey was too unwell to attend the hearing.

Her mother said: 'Jodie always tried to do the best she could but everything is a great struggle for her as she has problems as well.

'She is diagnosed as autistic but no doubt loves her children.'

She said that Ashton, who still needed to wear a nappy, was a 'lovely child' but had a 'very high pain threshold' and 'no ability to call out' for help.

The two-day hearing continues.