Dog walker ‘trampled to death’ by cow after sending cattle photo to mother
A 29-year-old woman sent a photo of cattle in a field to her mother before she was “trampled” to death by a cow, Leicester Coroner’s Court has heard.
Rebekah Morris – known as Becki – was walking her dog in Littlethorpe, Leicestershire, on the evening of July 9, 2022, when the incident occurred.
The jury inquest, which started at Leicester Coroner’s Court on Monday, heard that Morris had sent a picture of cattle with the word “cows” to her mother during her walk just before 9pm.
The tragic event unfolded after Morris stopped responding to text messages, prompting her parents to search for her.
Despite efforts by paramedics, Morris was pronounced dead at 11.21pm.
Dr Michael Biggs, the forensic pathologist who conducted Morris’s post-mortem examination, told the jury that her injuries were consistent with hoof marks from a trampling incident.
The court also heard that Morris had suffered blunt force traumatic injuries and abrasions to her upper chest and left shoulder.
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Dr Biggs said: “There was extensive damage to the liver, which led to severe internal bleeding. That’s the main reason why Becki died.”
He added that the injuries suggested a relatively brief incident involving one cow, rather than the entire herd.
The pathologist also noted that while traces of alcohol and medications were found in Morris’s blood, these were not a dangerous combination.
Dr Biggs highlighted the importance of ruling out human involvement in Morris’s death.
He told the inquest: “There were no other injuries to suggest the involvement of another person. 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.”
The inquest, which is expected to last five days, continues.