Mike Porter cow crush death accidental, inquest jury finds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-33273475

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The death of a man who was trampled by a herd of cows in a field was an accident, an inquest jury has found.

Former Edinburgh University lecturer Mike Porter and his brother were knocked to the ground by the herd as they crossed a field near Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire in May 2013.

A witness has described the cows "going mad" as they surrounded the men.

The Health and Safety Executive had visited the farmer, Brian Godwin, after another attack in his fields in 2011.

Salisbury Coroner's Court heard how Mr Porter's death came after a previous attack in Elbow Field, in Turleigh, in 2008 and two in a neighbouring field in 2011.

'Deliberately trampled'

The father of two, 66, from Edinburgh, had been visiting his brother John, 74, at his home in Monkton Combe, near Bath.

They had been walking their dogs on leads on a public footpath through Elbow Field when they were attacked. The younger brother died at the scene.

Mr Porter's brother told the inquest on Wednesday how the herd knocked them down repeatedly and seemed to "deliberately trample" on them "as if it was something they really wanted to do".

The inquest heard that of the 57 animals on the farm at the time of Mr Porter's death, 49 were continental breeds or cross-breeds.

Thirty-one had been there during three previous attacks, but there was no evidence about which cows in particular were involved.

Dawn Lawrence, from the Health and Safety Executive, told the inquest the HSE had visited the farmer after a 2011 attack and explained his duty to "reduce the risk as far as one possibly can".