Woman trampled to death by one cow, jury concludes

A woman who was trampled to death in a field of cattle died after a fatal injury caused by one cow, an inquest jury has ruled.

Rebekah Morris, 29, was walking her dog Zero in fields off Riverside Way in Littlethorpe, Leicestershire, on 9 July 2022 when she sent her mother a picture of the herd with the caption "cowz", just before 21:00 BST.

But after Ms Morris - known as Becki - did not respond to messages, her family went to the area and she was pronounced dead at 23:21.

An inquest into her death heard "we may never know what happened in that field", with the jury delivering a narrative conclusion on Friday.

At Leicester Town Hall, coroner Isobel Thistlethwaite heard Dr Michael Biggs - a forensic pathologist who completed the post-mortem examination - say that Ms Morris died from abdominal injuries "consistent with a large heavy creature" and that there were "hoofprints" on her chest.

He told the inquest her injuries indicated that it was a "relatively brief incident involving one cow".

The jury at Leicester Coroner's Court found Ms Morris had "deviated for reasons unknown" from the field's public footpath, which she used to enter the field, before she came across the cow, "tragically causing injuries which led to her death".

The inquest also heard from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Nicholas Mawby, who said investigations found the cattle had remained in the field in the weeks that followed Ms Morris's death.

Prohibition notices were sent by the HSE to the Hutton Partnership, which was responsible for the cattle, legally requiring action to be taken over the herd.

Mr Mawby told the inquest an electric fence was installed to segregate the public from the pathway.

And the jury heard that on average, according to the HSE, one or two people are killed by cattle using public rights of way annually in the UK, and that three deaths including Ms Morris were recorded between April 2022 and March 2023.

The HSE confirmed that its investigation into Ms Morris's death was continuing.

Following the jury's conclusion, Ms Morris's father David read a statement on behalf of her family and friends outside of the town hall.

He said: "Nothing will help us overcome the loss of Becki, but we are satisfied with the conclusion which the jury have found.

"Our beautiful daughter, Becki, went for a short walk with her chihuahua on a summer's evening and never came home.

"Becki's death was preventable. The law needs to change, the rules and guidelines in place need to be more robust and it needs to be enforced.

"This is happening time and time again. How many more people have to be killed?"

In a statement read out to the inquest jury on Thursday, her parents said she was "an all-round beautiful person".

They said: "Becki was always there to help others, even when she was unwell herself.

"She loved all animals and was vegan. She loved Zero, her chihuahua, and her rabbits, they were all her babies."

The inquest heard Ms Morris's body had been found "some way" from the designated footpath.

Toxicology reports showed she had "social level" alcohol in her system alongside her prescribed medication, but Dr Biggs said any impact on her would have been "mild".

Giving evidence, farmers Mark and Marika Hutton, who owned the herd, and Guy Hutton, who kept a flock of sheep on the fields, described the 18 cows and single calf as "docile" and "easy-going".

Ms Thistlethwaite concluded the inquest by addressing the family and said: "To Becki's family, you have my very, very sincere condolences.

"It is very clear to me how much you loved Becki. You must miss her terribly and you have my best wishes for the future."

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