Noah Smith, of Kent, went on holiday to South Africa with his father Vuyo Tame in early January, but was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg on January 8
A nine-year-old boy died after being ‘poisoned’ on a South Africa holiday and was found next to his father’s dead body in a suspected murder-suicide, an inquest has heard.
Noah Smith, of Burham, Kent, went on holiday with his father Vuyo Tame in January, but was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg on January 8.
Mr Tame, believed to be 47, was also found dead in the room and officials say he took his own life.
A coroner said Noah’s death was ‘extremely suspicious’ and that he believed Mr Tame was ‘involved’ in his son’s death, he told the inquest at Maidstone last week.
Noah died from poisoning, after large amounts of ‘over-the-counter’ drugs used to treat allergies, insomnia and nausea, were found in his system, the inquest heard.
His family are now trying to come to terms with his death as an investigation is underway to establish what happened on the holiday.
Noah’s mother, Vicky Smith told the Kent Messenger that her son was ‘fun-loving, caring, bright and beautiful’.
She said: ‘He was clearly designated for great achievements in life, making his death so much more tragic and so hard for me to bare.
‘Noah was in black belt training at Kung-Fu and was a seconder in his Cub Scout pack.’
She added: ‘All my family and me feel his loss so very deeply and we have been truly devastated by his death.’
A coroner said Noah’s death was ‘extremely suspicious’ and that he believed Mr Tame was ‘involved’ in his son’s death, he told the inquest at Maidstone (pictured) last week
Coroner Ian Wade, speaking at the opening of the inquest last week, said that Noah’s death was ‘unnatural’ and that a full inquest was needed.
He said: ‘Noah was nine years old and was taken to South Africa by his father for the the purposes of a holiday.
‘The circumstances in which he died, in the same room as his father, are extremely suspicious.
‘An investigation was not carried out in any great depth in South Africa due to the apparent circumstances of his father appearing to have taken his own life.
‘I have suspicions he was involved in the sad and tragic death of Noah,’ the Kent Messenger newspaper reported on Thursday.
Mr Wade added: ‘The death of a nine-year-old in these circumstances is truly dreadful.’
Pathologists are currently waiting for medical reports from South African officials before a full inquest can take place.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: ‘Our staff are supporting the family of a British child following his death in South Africa in January.’
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