[Benjamin]

An Essex woman was fatally bitten by one of her two dogs as it fought with her other pet over chicken nuggets, an inquest has found.

Southend woman Michelle Hempstead died on 30 July 2024 following the incident at her flat the day prior.

On Monday, a hearing in Chelmsford was told that during the altercation, her larger dog, Trigg, caught her upper left arm and severed an artery as it snapped at the smaller dog, Pom.

Ms Hempstead, 34, was reportedly throwing chicken nuggets to the two dogs – a mastiff Rottweiler cross and a Pomeranian, respectively – when the incident occurred.

Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes explained that Pom "had a go at Trigg", prompting Trigg to "go to bite him or snap at him, and this is a big dog with big jaws".

Despite the fatal incident, the coroner noted that both dogs were considered "quite well behaved" and described Trigg as "an otherwise gentle giant".

Ms Hempstead was taken to hospital but died the next day at the Royal London Hospital following traumatic blood loss which led to multiple organ failure.

Her then partner, Samuel West, told Monday’s hearing that Ms Hempstead had bought McDonald’s food and “had her box of, I think, 20 nuggets”.

“She liked to throw them up in the air and the little one, Pom, was going for the big one, not aggressively but he used to growl and snap when he wanted to get the nugget first,” he said.

He said that as Pom went to get a nugget “Trigg’s done this thing where he chomps his mouth”.

“It looked like to me it wasn’t a grab,” said Mr West.

“He just went to do a chomping thing and caught her under the arm.”

He described it as an “absolute freak accident”.

He said Trigg “didn’t have a bad bone in his body”, never showed his teeth and would sleep on Ms Hempstead’s bed.

Mr West said Ms Hempstead, who worked at Premier Inn, had previously fed Trigg food from her mouth.

He said Pom “sometimes used to think he was in charge of the big dog”.

In comments captured on a police bodycam and described to the inquest, Mr West said Ms Hempstead “threw the nugget up in the air – she was just caught in the crossfire”.

Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes, recording a conclusion of accidental death, said: “Michelle Hempstead died of the consequences of traumatic blood loss following a single bite from her large dog in her home which severed an artery.

“The bite was not malicious and occurred when she was caught during a brief fight between her two dogs over food.”

He continued: “The double tragedy about this is that she (Ms Hempstead) and the rest of her family suffered a terrible bereavement only a few weeks beforehand, of the death of her daughter.

“She was still reeling from that.”

Police previously said two dogs were seized from the address. The victim was their sole owner and both dogs had been “disclaimed for destruction”.

According to guidance from the Metropolitan Police, dogs can be euthanised if they are disclaimed by the owner, which happened in this case as Ms Hempstead was the sole owner.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b2835833.html

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b2835833.html

Such a shame these dogs are now set to be put down, it says the bite was not intentional,she obviously intervened and got bit I have done this myself,no way should those dogs be blamed i mean who plays with food like that with two dogs,Its sad about the woman but really imo,those dogs are not to blame.

[Crimson Dynamo]

unsuitable dog for a flat
unsuitable dog for a woman
never play with food with 2 dogs in competition

[Livia]

Agree with Kaz and Dynamo. Some people just shouldn't be dog owners.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Livia

Agree with Kaz and Dynamo. Some people just shouldn't be dog owners.

Agreed.

[emseateng2014]

this reminds me from game of thrones where that kook ramsey bolton fed his dogs some food where in i guess compition with each other and then what happens he gets axed by a group of dogs via sansa stark

[AnnieK]

Its a terrible story...the woman loved her dogs, had just lost her daughter. Has now died and as no-one claimed the dogs they are to be destroyed. So sad....all ways round