Mystery at death of ‘experienced stockman’ who may have been killed by his own cattle

A VETERAN dairy farmer was killed by his own cattle as he tended to them – something he had done “thousands of times”, an inquest heard.

Brian Swales, 67, went to check on his 17 Friesian heifers and one bull like any other day after one was described as “acting lame”.

But mystery remains over what happened as the grandfather of two was alone and no one saw how he came to die.

North Yorkshire Coroner’s Court heard he suffered broken ribs and lacerations to his lungs which resembled crush injuries.

Reports at the time claimed he had been was trampled by the bull, but a coroner said it was impossible to tell precisely what happened.

His wife Pauline said she believed he may have slipped in the uneven field and was unable to get back up as he was recovering from a hip operation.

She said that is when she thought the “experienced stocksman” may have been trampled on at a farm at Hutton Rudby, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire.

She told the inquest: “His movements trying to get back to his feet may have caused the cows to investigate and have stepped on him.”

The inquest heard that Mr Swales was allowed to use part of the land at Doddle Hill Farm by farmer Charlie Flintoff for his livestock in return for some land for his sheep.

Police, paramedics and an air ambulance arrived at the scene in July but Mr Swales was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the inquest, his daughter Julie Swales, 41, paid tribute to him.

She said: “He was a very kind and generous man and touched so many people’s lives.

“Not knowing what happened to dad in such a freak accident is hard to take, but we can’t ask the cows what happened can we?”

Returning a verdict of accidental death, Deputy North Yorkshire East Coroner Richard Watson said he could not give a definitive conclusion. He said: “This was a wholly tragic case.

“Clearly Brian had been a farmer all his life and was an experienced stocksman.

“But because we do not know exactly what happened to him in the field, I can only conclude in the short that he was crushed by cattle.”