Belted Galloway Cattle Credit: Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)

HILLARY ADAIR was repeatedly attacked and killed by Belted Galloway cattle in Linchmere Common in West Sussex on the 7th of January 2019.

An inquest into her death has since taken place in Crawley and a conclusion of accidental death was declared.

Rachel Thompson and husband Carl had previously been attacked by the same cattle, the couple were forced to escape the field leaving both with injuries, the husband “covered in blood”.

Rachel Thompson stated to the inquest: “We were just walking and chatting and that is when we kind of got the sensation that some cows had come behind us and they were very, very close to us.

“One of them hit me in the right side of the ribs and knocked me flying.

“I was lying there terrified.

“I was waiting to be trampled, I was bracing myself for it.”

Fortunately, the husband was able to fend off the rampaging animals with a stick.

The attack on Mrs Adair was witnessed by Bryony Dillamore.

Ms Dillamore reported that the cattle got more and more aggressive as the lady in question moved.

She said: “I didn’t see any signs to indicate that it was not safe to enter the common.

I then noticed that the cattle surrounding what I then understood was an elderly person with blood all over her head and chest”.

Ms Dillamore was able to alert the emergency services and Mrs Adair was airlifted to St. George´s Hospital, London.

She died a week later on the 14th of January.

Those responsible for the cattle The Lynchmere Society and Lynchmere Community Grazing CIC said: “Very serious discussion between our organisations and ongoing dialogue with the family and our membership within the community will be had going forward before any decision regarding future grazing activities on the commons are made.”

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield stated “We will never really know what prompted either the attack on Mr and Mrs Thompson or on Mrs Adair.

“Mrs Adair was particularly vulnerable.

“She really didn’t stand a chance against a herd of agitated cows.”