Woman trampled to death by cows was a 'long way' from footpath

A dog walker who was trampled to death by a cow after sending her mum a photo of cattle in a field was a 'long way' from a footpath, an inquest has heard.

Rebekah Morris, known as Becki, had been walking her pet chihuahua called Zero when the tragedy took place.

A jury inquest heard the 29-year-old had sent the image with the caption 'cowz' to her mother during her walk just before 9pm.

But the hearing was told that card shop worker Ms Morris then stopped responding to text messages, which prompted her parents to search for her in the field shown in the photo at Littlethorpe, Leicestershire, where they found her injured. She went into cardiac arrest and, despite efforts by paramedics, was pronounced dead at 11.21pm.

Today, Guy Hutton, the farmer whose father owned the field, told jurors how he tried to help Ms Morris after passing by the scene at around 10.30pm on July 9 2022,and noticing torch beams moving around.

He said: 'I parked my vehicle up as I thought it may be children playing in the field.

'I saw male running across towards the access gate. He said, "a girl has collapsed and I am going to get the ambulance".

'I went over to the injured girl and saw a member of the public with her. She was pale and lifeless, and I saw a red mark on her chest and a dark red mark on her neck.

'I found her mum and dad were present. Her mum was holding her hand. A member of the public came over to assist with first aid.

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'I put the warning lights on my vehicle and went to move the cattle so they did not interfere with the scene, and started trying to consider a suitable area for the air ambulance to land.'

Mr Hutton said the field was owned by his father Don, 79, and the herd of cattle - which consisted of 17 female cows and a calf - was owned by his brother, Mark, and his partner.

He told the inquest, which began at Leicester Coroner's Court on Monday, it 'didn't even cross his mind' initially that Ms Morris' injuries could have been caused by a cow, adding: 'They were all lying down and out of the way

'The red mark looked like she had been strangled. I helped with CPR, but it appears she had passed away.

'At first I thought a human being had caused her harm.'

Mr Hutton said that Ms Morris was found injured very close to where the photo she sent her mother was taken.

He added: 'I would say she was a long way from the footpath.

'I didn't know what had happened. I didn't know if someone had driven in and dumped her in the field.

'My father has been very upset about the incident ever since.'

Mr Hutton said a detective visited him after Ms Morris' death and said she'd suffered a crush injury that couldn't have been caused by a human.

He said: 'The detective told me her family were very unhappy and wanted answers. He said there was no criminal case to answer. The detective said it was a livestock injury.

'It was quite a shock for him to say that.'

Discussing the nature of the cows in the field, Mr Hutton said they had always previously been 'docile'.

He added: 'I have never known the cattle to stampede. The closest I have seen is when they are released onto spring grass, and frolic.

'I did not see anything in their temperament that made me concerned. They were used to people coming into the field and doing all sorts. They are used to people walking through, and they move away.

'Members of the public do not seem to understand this is private land. They were regularly walking around the field two or three times a week. Having picnics and playing rounders.

'They need to stick to the footpath and keep their pets on leads at all times.'

Mr Hutton told the hearing the public must follow a boundary line in the field which is 'well marked' by yellow posts, and that there were signs warning people to stick to the path.

Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Biggs, who carried out Ms Morris's post-mortem examination, previously told the jury her injuries were 'consistent with hoof marks from a trampling incident'.

He told the court she had suffered blunt force traumatic injuries and abrasions to her upper chest and left shoulder, adding: 'There was extensive damage to the liver, which led to severe internal bleeding. That's the main reason why Becki died.'

He said that the number of injuries was 'not so large' that he believed the whole herd had been involved, and instead thought it was a 'relatively brief incident involving one cow'.

Dr Biggs said there was 'enough of a suspicion' to do a forensic post-mortem examination to 'rule out' the involvement of a person. 'There were no other injuries to suggest the involvement of another person,' he said. 'All injuries were consistent with a livestock trampling incident.

'The type and location of the injuries in this case, for me, were indicative of something else, such as a large, heavy creature – such as a cow.' There were traces of alcohol and medications in Ms Morris's blood at the time, but these were 'not a dangerous combination', Dr Biggs told the inquest.

The inquest, which is expected to last five days, continues.

Brits fatally trampled by killer cows  

KATHY McKELLAR, 74

Ms McKellar was found dead in September 2022 in a field after being trampled by a herd of cows while on holiday near Grindleton in Lancashire with her beloved cockapoo Archie.

The 'fiercely independent woman' was lying down with her arm under a wire fence at the other end of the field from where a public footpath passes through it.

Ms McKellar was pronounced dead at the scene with detectives noting she had several injuries consistent with being trampled by cattle.

She had gone for a walk with a pet pooch and was found in a field being grazed by 25 Limousin cows with calves and a bull. 

A post mortem CT scan revealed she died from traumatic chest injuries including fractured vertebrae and ribs.

DAVID CLARK, 59

The former Scotland under-21 rugby player was walking through a field in the Yorkshire Dales on September 21, 2020 when he was set upon.

The married father-of-three was floored by an initial stampede before one of the enormous cows turned around and ran straight into him in Richmond, North Yorkshire. 

The deputy headteacher, lost consciousness a short time later and was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of locals and paramedics.

Mr Clark, born in Duns in the Scottish Borders, played three times in the second row for Scotland under-21s, while his son Calum played for Northampton Saints and Saracens and made one cap for England.

At a jury inquest in Harrogate heard the field contained calves and cows that may have been attempting to protect their young at the time of the tragedy.

MARIAN CLODE, 61 

 The popular primary school teacher was on an Easter break in Northumberland in 2016 when she was tossed over a gate by the cow which had repeatedly charged at her.

A judge told how cattle approached Mrs Clode, her husband, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren 'at speed'. 

Fit and active Mrs Clode suffered severe spinal injuries after the distressing attack and died three days later in hospital. 

At a court hearing, JM Nixon and Son, which runs Swinhoe Farm, Belford, admitted failing to ensure the safety of persons, other than employees, by exposing them to risks to their safety from the movement of cattle.

Judge Tim Gittins passed sentence, fining the firm £72,500 and ordering it to also pay £34,700 costs, plus a victim surcharge of several hundred pounds.

The family released a statement following sentencing in which they said Marian's death was 'completely avoidable' and expressed their struggle in coming to terms with it.

ALLISON PAYNE, 55

The dog walker died in August 2022 after walking her dog through a farmer's field of aggressive cows in West Sussex near where she lived.

Ms Payne often walked her dog, Penny, around fields surrounding the village near Horsham and would take the route she was walking when she died 'at least weekly'.

She was walking the Staffordshire bull terrier in a field with around 20 cows, each with calves around five months old.

A passer-by later found Penny without Ms Payne and posted a missing dog appeal on social media.

Ms Payne was found in the field off Rowner Road, near Billinghurst, where she was treated by paramedics and air ambulance crews. However, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

HUW EVANS, 75 

The retired council worker was crossing the road in the centre of Whitland, Carmarthenshire, when he was attacked by a cow that had escaped from a nearby market.

He was confronted by an 'extremely agitated' cow that had escaped from Whitland Mart and sustained multiple injuries. 

Mr Evans was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff but died there on November 25, 2022. 

The cow, a brown Limousin breed, escaped while being unloaded from a trailer at Whitland Mart where a livestock market operated by JJ Morris Auctioneers was taking place.

The cow then ran down the main road to the centre of Whitland, a short distance away and attacked Mr Evans despite attempts by people to contain it.

Trains were stopped when the animal made its way onto rail track in the area, before it was put down in a nearby field.

Following Mr Evans' death, his family issued a tribute through Dyfed-Powys Police.

They said: 'Huw was a loved dad, dadcu, brother, uncle and friend to many.

'We would like to thank the community for their support and well wishes while Huw was in hospital and since his passing, we now know how much he will be missed.'