https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7326311/Teenager-17-appears-court-accused-attempted-murder-Tate-Modern.html?ico=pushly-notifcation-smallSobbing Tate 'pusher' sports a black eye as court hears boy, six, suffered a broken spine, legs and arms ‘when he was dropped over 100ft ledge after he walked 'a couple of feet from his parents' and was snatched by a stranger’
A 17-year-old has been charged with attempted murder of French child, six
Teenager allegedly threw him from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern on Sunday
Suspect was beaten by a witness and pinned down by security before his arrest
He appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court and appeared 'confused and tearful'
Alleged victim suffered a bleed on the brain and broken arms, legs and spine
By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 11:26, 6 August 2019 | Updated: 12:26, 6 August 2019
The six-year-old French boy grabbed from his mother and hurled from the top of the Tate Modern has a 'deep bleed to the brain' and broke his spine, legs and arms in the fall, a court heard today. The teenager accused of attacking the child tourist was in tears in the dock at Bromley Magistrates' Court this morning as he was accused of his attempted murder at London's top gallery on Sunday. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was wearing a prison-issue grey tracksuit and sporting a black eye after being punched. The child, part of a French family visiting London on holiday, fell 100ft after being snatched and thrown from the tenth floor viewing platform in one ‘very swift’ movement, the court heard. He landed on the art gallery's fifth floor roof and was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition having suffered fractures to his spine, legs and arms, the court heard. The teenager appeared confused and tearful as he spoke only to confirm name, age and British nationality. Sian Morgan, prosecuting, said:' This is an incident that took place on August 4. The complainant is a six year old child. Visiting the Tate with his parents they were on the 10th floor viewing platform. He walked a couple of feet away from his parents. It is then said that the 17 year old picked him up and threw him over the edge of the viewing platform. It was very swift and in one movement. The boy fell approximately 100 feet to the 5th floor. He suffered very serious injuries and is currently in hospital. He suffered fractures to his spine legs and arms. The 17 year old was apprehended by members of the public. Police arrived and arrested him.'
Magistrate David Armitage told the teenager 'You will be returned to youth detention until Thursday August 8 when you will attend the Central Criminal Court. You will attend there again on August 22 for a trial preparation hearing.'
The 17-year-old is charged with attempted murder. He will appear at the Old Bailey on August 8 to plea. The teenager will then appear again at the Old Bailey on August 22 for a trial preparation hearing. Mark Welte, a writer from San Francisco, said he had to restrain the boy’s mother after hearing a commotion and a ‘primal scream’. ‘Someone said someone had thrown a child over. I leapt up and looked over the rail and I did indeed see a child down below there,’ he said. ‘The child’s mother then tried to climb the rail. I restrained her and pulled her back.’
The boy’s condition improved to ‘stable but critical’ yesterday with his family holding a bedside vigil. Detective Chief Inspector John Massey said: ‘This was a truly shocking incident, and people will understandably be searching for answers. At the moment, this is being treated as an isolated event with no distinct or apparent motive.’
In a direct appeal for witnesses, he added: ‘It would have been incredibly distressing to watch, and it may be that you left Tate Modern very quickly after. If you have not yet spoken to us about what you saw, please contact us without delay. My team is also very keen to talk to you if you witnessed a male whose behaviour seemed out of place, suspicious or worrying, in the hour or two before the incident in or near the gallery.’
Mr Massey thanked members of the public who pinned a teenage suspect to the floor, allowing officers to arrest him when they arrived. Police were called to the London art gallery at around 2.40pm on Sunday and put it into lockdown. Witnesses described hearing the boy’s mother scream ‘my son, my son’ as she rushed to the lifts to try to reach him below. Olga Malehevska was on the viewing platform with her four-year-old son when she heard visitors shout: ‘Oh my God, the boy dropped.’
The Ukrainian journalist said: ‘I was standing on the balcony with my little one and he was touching the fence and we were taking pictures.’
She said she heard a noise and felt some pushing, adding: ‘I just felt like something was going on, I should take my child out of there immediately and we tried to go toward the exit.’
Miss Malehevska said she saw the victim’s mother crying, shaking and shouting: ‘Oh my son, my son.’
A spokesman for Tate Modern said the gallery was open yesterday but the viewing platform was shut out of respect. The platform, which has a chest-high barrier, is part of the Tate’s £260million Blavatnik extension. Police are continuing to appeal for further witnesses to come forward.
