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Dajahnel Amazin Young inquest: coroner rules accidental death on Margate beach tragedy

A heartbroken mum broke down in tears and screamed outside a courtroom today after a coroner ruled her six-year-old daughter's death on Margate beach was "accidental".

Dajahnel Young was tragically found lifeless in the water near the town's harbour arm on a hot summer's day last year.

Dajahnel Amazin Young tragically died on Margate beach
Dajahnel Amazin Young tragically died on Margate beach

The little girl, known by her middle name Amazin, had been visiting Margate with estranged family friends Cynthia and Roy Robinson, on an annual beach trip organised by the husband and wife.

At the Guildhall in Sandwich this morning, His Honour coroner Alan Blunsdon concluded the couple's actions did not amount to a "gross failure".

He said: "A moment of inattention of a parent is a nightmare faced by many parents on a daily basis.

"Indeed on Margate beach on July 28 it was the very nightmare experienced by approximately 25 parents.

"The inattention leading to the disappearance of a child is not in my opinion a gross failure.

Cynthia and Roy Robinson (19742301)
Cynthia and Roy Robinson (19742301)

"I do not feel the conduct of Mr and Mrs Robinson meets the threshold for evidence of a gross failure."

Some 6,500 people had packed out Margate beach on the day of Amazin's death.

The inquest previously heard from the RNLI that 25 children had gone missing on the sands that day, all of whom were returned to their parents, except Amazin.

After Mr Blunsdon today gave a conclusion of accidental death, Amazin's mum Camille Remekie later left the courtroom where she broke down in tears and screamed in grief.

At a week-long hearing earlier this month, the inquest heard from Ms Remekie that she had not spoken to Mrs Robinson for two years following a dispute. But she had allowed Amazin to go on the trip as a step towards "mending" their friendship.

She told the court she had instructed the Robinsons before they left: "I don't want my baby going into the water."

Police and ambulance crews at Margate beach. Picture: Shannon Owen (19742221)
Police and ambulance crews at Margate beach. Picture: Shannon Owen (19742221)

In a written statement, she added: "I want to know definitively what happened to my daughter."

As the inquest continued, the court heard from Mrs Robinson, 50, who vehemently denied being told not to let Amazin in the sea.

She and her husband had been responsible for eight children aged 12 and under that day, including a baby - as well as four young adults aged between 18 and 20.

The inquest heard how Amazin, who could not swim, had been down to the water's edge with Mr Robinson before heading back to where Mrs Robinson was sitting on the beach with several other children.

Mrs Robinson recalled seeing her playing on the sand with another girl.

His Honour Alan Blunsdon
His Honour Alan Blunsdon

But she claimed that while filming a video on her mobile phone, she noticed Amazin had disappeared.

The video, played before the court, documents Mrs Robinson's walk across the packed beach to where her husband and several children are paddling in the water.

"I still couldn't see Amazin," she said at the inquest. "I stopped filming. I said, 'Roy, where is Amazin?' And he said, 'She's with you'. I said, 'No, she was but now she's gone'."

But lawyers representing Amazin's family questioned Mrs Robinson's account of events.

They drew attention to the delay of nine minutes between the end of the video footage and the time at which Mrs Robinson called her daughter, who was buying ice creams, to check whether Amazin was with her.

"A moment of inattention of a parent is a nightmare faced by many parents on a daily basis..." coroner Alan Blunsdon

They also questioned why Amazin's name was not mentioned during the nearly four-minute-long video and why Mrs Robinson did not appear to hurry to reach the waterfront.

The lawyers also highlighted how Amazin was not given armbands or a flotation device on the day, despite her carers' knowledge she could not swim.

Addressing Mrs Robinson, coroner Alan Blunsdon asked "whether you consider that on that day, you failed to properly supervise Amazin," to which Mrs Robinson replied: "No, no, no".

After realising Amazin was missing, Mr and Mrs Robinson began frantically searching the beach - which was exceptionally busy and noisy on July 28 due to several "unofficial gatherings".

The coroner today said: "Despite our best efforts during this inquest, there is no evidence to establish why Amazin left or where she went immediately after leaving the tent area.

"It is sometimes unhelpful to speculate. But perhaps she decided to rejoin Mr Robinson on the shoreline or having overhead the older groups discussing going to purchase ice cream, decided to follow them.

"What did become clear from the narration of the mobile phone video by Mrs Robinson was she initially believed she would find Amazin with Mr Robinson's group. She did not realise at the time of filming that Amazin was missing."

He added: "I have sufficient evidence to find that Amazin entered the water intentionally but did not realise that action would lead to her peril."

The RNLI also carried out a search, but the little girl's body was soon spotted in the harbour by a local couple.

Desperate attempts to resuscitate her proved unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the QEQM hospital in Margate.

The inquest has also heard from witnesses including RNLI lifeguards, medics, and the man who spotted Amazin's body in the water.

Responding to the coroner's conclusion, the Robinson family has released a statement through their solicitors, saying: "Mr and Mrs Robinson are pleased that the coroner has found that the loss of Amazin was a tragic accident as they have always explained.

"But nobody ‘won’ today. This remains the most profound and terrible loss imaginable.

"Mr and Mrs Robinson and their whole family loved both Amazin and her mum, Camille, dearly and will miss and remember Amazin always."

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