Daily Star

MAN DIES WITH HEAD STUCK IN RABBIT HOLE

Miner’s bunny hunt ends in tragedy

- By JERRY LAWTON jerry.lawton@dailystar.co.uk

AN ex-miner suffocated after getting his head stuck in a hole while trying to catch a rabbit.

Stephen Whinfrey was an experience­d rabbiter and hunted them with ferrets and dogs, an inquest heard yesterday.

But he went on a solo hunting trip on New Year’s Day and was found by a walker the next day with his head in the ground. Mr Whinfrey, 50, had taken off his Wellington boots and jacket, which were found next to the hole with two bags – one containing ferrets – a spade, knives and a net.

A dead rabbit and fresh mound of soil were next to the hole, and his dog was tied to a tree nearby.

Pc Richard Hall told the hearing in Doncaster: “We found a male headfirst in a hole with his legs and torso visible.

“He was at a 45-degree angle curved around the hole. There was a hand coming out of the hole in between the male’s legs. I couldn’t see the other hand and there were scratch marks on the ground.”

The grim discovery was made at Squirrel Wood Scout Camp, near

SUFFOCATED: Stephen was an experience­d rabbiter who hunted with ferrets Burghwalis, Doncaster. Dr Susan Rodgers said Mr Whinfrey died from asphyxia due to lack of oxygen. She added: “He had probably been dead for some hours by the time he was found.“

Assistant coroner Mark Beresford recorded a verdict of death by misadventu­re.

TARGET: Wild bunny

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