AN inquest has begun three years after a 10-year-old was killed in Reading's Topshop store.

Kaden Reddick died after a display queue barrier fell on top of him on February 13, 2017.

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A jury inquest into the cause of his death was opened today (Monday, March 2) by assistant coroner Alison McCormick at Reading Coroner's Office in the Town Hall.

The jury heard how Kaden, from Burghfield, had been in the store with his mother, grandmother and two siblings.

A statement made  on February 16, 2017 by Kaden's mother, Lisa Mallett, was read to the jury by Ms McCormick, and described the moments leading up to Kaden's death.

"At around 3.55pm I was at the entrance of the Oracle Shopping Centre," she said.

"I was with my mother, Deborah Mallett and three of my children.

"We had decided to do some shopping after being at The Vue Cinema.

"We all went together into Topshop."

The statement explained that the family were later at the queues paying.

Ms Mallett stated how Kaden had been stood by one of the barriers, which she described as 'ceramic dividers'.

She added that Kaden and her daughter had wanted some of the sweets which were displayed on top of the dividers, and that she had said no.

She then said: "I looked down and within a second I heard a smack.

"Kaden was on the floor and this divider was on him.

"Kaden didn’t say anything.

"First I thought he didn’t say anything because he was embarrassed about what had happened and then I realised Kaden wasn’t moving."

A statement from witness Niamh Gillespie was also read to the jury.

Ms Gillespie, a student, made the statement on the day Kaden died.

She said: "I was in Topshop with a friend. We were queuing up at the tills.
“Barriers divided the queue which also had held sweets and other items.

“The boy started swinging on the barriers, holding on to it with both hands.

“The first time he did it he put his feet back on the floor, and the second time the foot of the barrier slipped.

"The boy fell on the floor on his back and the barrier hit his head then landed on the floor.

“The boy’s mum saw what happened and shouted ‘mum’."

The inquest is expected to last for two weeks, until Friday, February 13.

Coroner Alison McCormick said: "This is an inquest into the death of Kaden James Alexander Reddick, who died on February 13 2017." She later added: "The evidence that you will hear will cover the design of the barrier, modification to the design, the manufacturers and the installation in store."

The inquest continues.