Two farmers receive fines for the death of a 59-year-old deputy head teacher who was trampled by their cows while walking his dogs.

KATHY McKELLAR, 74

Ms McKellar was tragically found dead in September 2022 when she was trampled by a herd of cows in a field near Grindleton, Lancashire, while vacationing with her dog Archie.

Described as a ‘fiercely independent woman,’ she was discovered lying down with her arm under a wire fence at one end of the field where a public footpath crosses through.

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.

REBEKAH MORRIS, 28

 

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.

During the incident, Ms. Morris, who works at a card shop, had stopped responding to text messages, prompting her parents to search for her in the field at Littlethorpe, Leicestershire. They found her injured, and despite the paramedics’ efforts, she went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 11:21 pm.

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.’

PAMELA JOYCE BARNWELL, 88

Pamela Joyce Barnwell, 88, was still working as a legal archivist when she was found lying on the ground with serious injuries after being charged at by the herd of cattle. 

An inquest has now opened into her death and revealed she was rushed to hospital but died from multiple traumatic injuries, including a pelvic haemorrhage, the following day. 

Mrs Barnwell and her pet were near to the Godshill cricket ground, near Fordingbridge, when the tragedy happened on October 21.