A bizarre trial is currently taking place in England, involving events dating back to September 11, 2020. On that day, a retired teacher was killed by cows that repeatedly attacked him while he and a friend were walking along Hadrian's Wall, a historic Roman site in the north of the country. On that day, cattle and their calves charged Malcolm Flynn, a 72-year-old grandfather from Carlisle, as he crossed a field at Thirlwall Castle Farm, near Gilsland, on the Cumbria-Northumberland border.
The pensioner was seriously injured after being hit in the head while lying on the ground, his hiking companion, Christopher Barkless, testified at the hearing in Morpeth, Northumberland. Barkless had to climb a tree to escape the animals. He alerted emergency services, but his friend could not be saved and died from chest injuries.
At the trial, assistant coroner Kirsten Mercer told jurors that a sign had been posted warning walkers of the presence of cows and their calves in the field, saying they could be "unpredictable."
The minute-by-minute account of the drama
The victim, Malcolm Flynn, a father of two, was a member of the Ramblers' Association and regularly hiked with his friend Christopher Barkless. Together, they walked the route of Hadrian's Wall in sections. A former chemistry teacher, he had worked as a manager at Northumbrian Water before changing careers in his fifties. He suffered from glaucoma, which affected his eyesight, and experienced arthritic pain in his foot.
Christopher Barkless explained that they had set off from Gilsland that morning and, after entering a field, noticed four cows and their calves blocking the path. He then decided to change their route. He said: "I wasn't comfortable with the situation; they weren't behaving the way I expected. Normally, if a cow looks away, it will eventually leave. But these cows were different. They showed no signs of irritation at the presence of two humans. On the contrary, they came to meet us.
Christopher Barkless continued his testimony by explaining that he had warned his friend that he was changing direction. But as he turned around, he heard a deafening noise: the cattle were rushing towards Malcolm Flynn, who tried to escape, but in vain.
According to the witness to the tragedy, a cow then struck the septuagenarian with its shoulder, knocking him to the ground, before lifting him into the air. Seriously injured, the victim lay on the ground, and every time he moved, a cow trampled him. Hidden in a tree, the witness called 999. Malcolm Flynn made a final attempt to get up, but a cow kicked him violently in the face.
It wasn't until about 30 minutes after the initial attack, when the air rescue helicopter arrived, that the cows became frightened and scattered, allowing other hikers present to try to help. However, rescuers were unable to save him, and Malcolm Flynn died at the scene.
The investigation also revealed that a similar incident occurred a year earlier on the same farm, where two hikers were injured by cows. The investigation is ongoing to determine who was responsible for this fatal accident.
