Toddler died after hanging himself on cord of window blind
Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was pronounced dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital Photo: ITV Meridian
A toddler died by accidentally hanging himself on the cord of a window blind in his parents’ bedroom, an inquest heard.
Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was found suspended above the ground next to the window by his father Martin, 35, when he walked into the room.
The father-of-five, from Bampton, tried to resuscitate his son before ambulance crews arrived and took him to hospital in February.
The toddler never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly before 10pm at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Martin and Anne Doran lost another son, Martin Jr, to sudden infant death syndrome at their family home in November 2011.
On the evening of the latest tragedy, ground-worker Mr Doran had picked up his eldest son Jimmy, 13, from a boxing session, returning home just before 9pm.
His wife Anne and their two other children Larry, 11, and Margaret, nine, were watching TV in another room of the family bungalow in Weald Street.
Mrs Doran, a housewife, said she had sent her daughter to check on Johnny earlier in the evening and that he was fine.
The inquest heard that Mr Doran used the toilet by the back door before walking into the bedroom – which he shared with his youngest son – to put his coat away.
A statement by Mr Doran read: “I saw Johnny standing next to the window.
“He looked like he was leaning over.
“I knew something was wrong, he was not moving – he was limp.”
He then called the ambulance from his son Jimmy’s phone and gave his youngest son CPR.
Coroner Darren Salter said it was a “tragic accident” and described the boy’s death as “extremely sad and depressing”.
Mr Salter also encouraged homeowners to ensure their blinds met new legislation – as the Dorans’ set did not.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Ryan said that police investigations with trading standards found no wrong-doing on behalf of the blind company that now no longer trades.
The new rules state that blind cords – made after February last year – must either be fixed to the wall or have a snap-mechanism when more than 4kg is applied.
Mr Salter recorded a verdict of accidental death.