Man trampled to death by cows in lunch-hour walk, inquest hears

Michael Holmes, 57, was fatally crushed by cows after entering a field near hear his home in Netherton, near Wakefield

A telecoms worker died after he and his wife were trampled by a herd of cows during a lunchtime walk in lockdown, an inquest has heard.

Michael Holmes, 57, was fatally crushed and his wife Teresa is in a wheelchair following the incident near their home in Netherton, West Yorkshire.

The couple had entered a field off Hollinghirst Lane on 29 September 2020.

Mrs Holmes told the inquest in Wakefield there was no sign saying cows with calves were in the field.

Senior Coroner Kevin McLoughlin heard the couple, who were childhood sweethearts and had been married for 34 years, followed a public footpath up a steep hill but were unaware that several dozen cows with calves were at the top of the slope.

CCTV footage from a nearby property appeared to show the cows approaching Mr and Mrs Holmes from behind and "accelerating".

Michael and Teresa Holmes were childhood sweethearts and had been married for 34 years

Mr Holmes sustained fatal chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mrs Holmes spent six months in hospital after suffering a spinal cord injury and fractured ribs.

The mother-of-two told the inquest she had no memory after that until she woke up in hospital weeks later.

"I was just really confused, I couldn't work out why I was there and my daughters eventually had to explain they had lost their dad," she told the inquest.

Mrs Holmes said she and her husband had been in the same field "scores" of times and were aware it "sometimes" had cattle in.

"There were times when we'd seen them and decided not to go in the field because I don't want to cross a field I know has got cattle in," she said.

The pair were walking their daughter's two dogs, both of which were on fixed leads

The couple were also walking their daughter's two dogs, both on fixed leads, but they managed to escape, the inquest heard.

Jurors were shown a picture of the sign at the bottom of the field, which read: "These fields produce your food, clean up after your dog. Please keep your dog in sight and under control."

Mrs Holmes said they "would definitely not have entered" the field had there been a sign saying "there are cattle with calves".

"They shouldn't be on a public footpath where they are likely to charge," she said.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had recorded nine UK fatalities due to cattle in five years with a spike in incidents in 2020, the inquest heard.

Two walkers told the hearing they had been chased by cows in the same field less than four months before Mr Holmes was killed.

The field off Hollinghirst Lane in Netherton, near Wakefield

John Burgess said he suffered four broken ribs and "quite severe bruising" after being attacked in June 2020.

He said he had not realised the cattle were there as it was a foggy day.

Natalie Bain said she had "never been back" in the field since a "terrifying" near-miss with "stampeding" cattle in August 2020.

Both walkers had dogs on leads with them.

The inquest continues.

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