A 75-year-old dog walker was left fearing for his life after a herd of cows trampled him on a public footpath in Cornwall, causing severe injuries including a severed artery.
Holiday Walk Turns to Horror
Brian Gregory, 75, was on a caravan holiday in Porthcothan in June 2024. On June 30, he was walking his Labrador, Molly, on the South West Coast Path at Park Head when they encountered a herd of cattle with young calves.
The cattle became aggressive. Brian let go of Molly's lead, and the herd chased the dog away, trampling him in the process. Passing walkers came to his aid, helping him and Molly back to his caravan.
Severe Injuries and Delayed Action
When Brian's partner saw his injuries, she immediately called an ambulance. He was hospitalised for five days, requiring surgery for serious wounds. His injuries included a severed artery, horn marks, and deep gashes right down to the bone.
The farmer responsible for the cattle, Beverley Chapman of Tembleath Farm, St Columb Major, was informed of the attack the same day. Despite this, she did not remove the cattle from the path and instead increased the size of the herd. Some calves were as young as 42 days old.
A month later, in July 2024, two more local residents walking dogs on the same path were attacked by the same herd. They escaped serious injury by sheltering in gorse bushes, but one of their dogs was seriously hurt and needed surgery.
Mrs Chapman was informed again but only removed the cattle four days after the second incident, and only when formally instructed to do so by a Cornwall Council public rights of way officer.
Health and Safety Breach and Court Outcome
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Mrs Chapman had kept cattle with young calves in a field with a public right of way, posing a significant risk. She had other enclosed fields without public access available.
Mrs Chapman pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. At Bristol Magistrates’ Court on December 16, 2025, she was fined £5,260 and ordered to pay £4,650 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 court surcharge.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Simon Jones said: "Cattle are extremely protective of their calves and even calm cattle can become aggressive." He stated it was fortunate Mr Gregory's injuries were not fatal and noted that the farmer failed to act despite two separate attacks.
