A British father has pleaded guilty to causing the death of his two-year-old son, who plunged from a fourth-floor window at a five-star hotel in Cyprus.
Joshua Foster, 37, from Essex, admitted causing death by a rash, dangerous or reckless act at Paphos District Court on Tuesday.
The KPMG executive had been arrested hours after his son fell approximately 33ft from the King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos on July 12.
The toddler was rushed to Paphos General Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Foster could now face a maximum sentence of four years in prison, although the minimum penalty is a fine. If he receives a sentence of less than three years, he may be able to serve a suspended sentence in the UK.
+5
View gallery
Joshua Foster a 37-year-old KPMG AI director pleaded guilty over the death of his two-year-old son, who died after falling from a hotel window in Cyprus
+5
View gallery
The toddler was the third British tourist to die at the five-star King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos in four years
+5
View gallery
Mr 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.
Father said he believed the window was closed
Foster is understood to have placed his son on a windowsill while waiting for a lift, believing that the window was closed.
The child then fell backwards through the open window.
Foster was initially held on remand without charge for eight days before being formally charged.
He was later required to pay €30,000 (£25,750) in bail and was prohibited from leaving Cyprus. That restriction was temporarily lifted on August 5 so he could return to the UK to bury his son.
Toxicology tests found a very small amount of alcohol in Foster’s blood, described as the equivalent of one or two drinks.
While in custody, he had to tell his five-year-old daughter about her brother’s death over FaceTime. His wife, a 38-year-old health professional, and their daughter returned to the UK at the end of July.
A family member described the toddler as a “truly special, easy-going little boy” who brought immense joy to those around him.
His infectious smile, warm cuddles and kind nature, the family member said, were already deeply missed.
Lawyer says guilty plea was intended to end ordeal
Foster entered his guilty plea after learning last week, on what would have been his son’s third birthday, that Cyprus Attorney General George Savvides had rejected an appeal to have the case dropped.
His lawyer, Alexandros Alexandrou, had previously argued that the prosecution should be discontinued on humanitarian grounds, saying there was no public interest in continuing the case and that further proceedings would only add to the family’s trauma.
Following the guilty plea, Alexandrou said Foster wanted to bring the legal ordeal to an end and return to his family.
“Last night he decided to plead guilty in order to end this story, to face whatever is going to be the penalty,” the lawyer told reporters.
“To go back to his family which is the most important thing in his mind, to support, grieve and stand with his family.”
Alexandrou said he had explained the Cypriot legal process to Foster, including the possibility of a lengthy trial involving photographs and evidence that could have been particularly distressing for the family.
He described his client as “a father who found himself in an unfortunate situation” and stressed that there had been no intention to cause harm.
Family faces scrutiny over hotel safety
The tragedy has also raised questions about safety at the King Evelthon, where the toddler became the third British tourist to die in four years.
Ben Woods, 21, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, drowned while playing volleyball in the hotel’s pool in July 2022.
In 2023, six-year-old Ruaridh Nairne from Inverness, Scotland, also drowned in the pool.
Another woman was reportedly killed while swimming at the resort in 2024.
When the Daily Mail visited the hotel following the latest tragedy, the fourth-floor window involved was still open.
UK health and safety guidance states that hotel windows large enough for children to fall through should be restricted to an opening of four inches or less.
Cypriot rules differ, requiring the window to be positioned above a ledge at least 3.5ft high. The King Evelthon is understood to comply with that requirement.
+5
View gallery
Ruaridh Nairne, six, from Inverness, Scotland, tragically drowned in the hotel’s pool in 2023
+5
View gallery
Ben Woods, 21, from Leigh in Greater Manchester drowned while playing volleyball in the hotel’s pool in July 2022
Foster’s life before the tragedy
Foster has worked for KPMG since 2015, having graduated from Loughborough University, where he met his wife.
The couple, who live in Chelmsford, celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary only last month.
They had travelled extensively together, including a seven-month “megamoon” taking in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
A keen tennis player since childhood, Foster also used his technology background to launch a start-up called Sportch in 2021.
The company describes itself as the UK’s “number one tennis competition app” and says it is used by 7,000 players across 400 clubs.
Foster stepped down as the company’s chief executive early last year, explaining that with two young children and other significant commitments, he needed to ensure his own workload did not hold back its growth.
He is now due to be sentenced at Paphos District Court on October 5.