Greenwich: Inquest ruling is death by misadventure

A BABY girl drowned in a bath when a seven-year-old boy described as a "bully" held her head under water, an inquest heard.

Karla Granville, aged two, was sharing a bath with two other children, a brother and sister, when she drowned.

The tragedy happened on April 3 this year, while she was staying with the family, which cannot be identified, in their home on the Lewisham/Greenwich border.

The boy's mother was alerted by her children screaming and found Karla lying on her back in the water.

She called 999 and desperately tried to resuscitate her.

When interviewed later by Sergeant Ian Brown she allegedly said: "My son was in the bath watching her when it happened. He can be a bully."

First of all the boy said he was in the bathroom when he heard a "splosh" but then denied being in the room at the time.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Eldridge told the court the boy's sister consistently blamed him for the incident.

DCI Eldridge said: "She said he told her he was going to do it beforehand and there was a squabble and he slapped Karla and held her under the water."

She was airlifted from the home to Lewisham Hospital where she was pronounced dead an hour later.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure coroner Selena Lynch said: "I don't think we will ever know exactly what happened in that bathroom.

"It is possible Child B (the girl) has given a fairly accurate account of what happened, and it is possible Child A (the boy) has pushed her under the water.

"Children often behave in an aggressive manner and have no idea of the consequences."

Speaking after the verdict Karla's father Elrich Granville said: "I'm not happy with the verdict.

"I'm planning to speak to lawyers about taking some kind of civil action because the police have taken the investigation as far as it can go."

July 16, 2002 12:00