Stampeding cow kills gran by butting her twice then catapulting her over a fence
Family warns of herd danger after Marian Clode was 'thrown like a rag doll' and suffered a broken neck as she walked on public bridleway with her young family
THE heartbroken daughter of a woman who was killed by a stampeding cow has described how the charging animal flipped her mum "like a rag doll".
Marian Clode was enjoying a walk in the countryside during an Easter holiday with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids when the cow broke away from a stampeding herd.
As the family walked down a public bridleway in Cheviot Hills, 61-year-old Marian was butted twice in the chest before being "catapulted" over a gate.
She suffered a broken neck as she landed in a nearby field and passed away two days later in hospital.
The primary school teacher had tried to press herself against a gate as the herd charged her way.
Chris Rowe, Marian's son-in-law, described his fear at not being able to see her as the cows began "really running fast, clearly at speed".
As it looked like the cows were about to pass by, one noticed her and began scraping its hooves in her direction - causing Marian to scream.
Chris, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, told : "I could see this animal and it was scraping his paws and it was so sinister it was unbelievable.
"I will never forget the site of that cow, like a bullfight."
Marian's devastated daughter Lucy told the : "[Her scream] was a sound I'll never forget - and then the cow charged at her, hitting her with an almighty force in the chest."
Lucy said: "It charged at her a third time, it flipped my mum like a rag doll over the fence and into the next field."
She explained her mum's injuries were likened to those of a high-speed crash and said "she did not stand a chance against the animal".
Marian was treated by paramedics at the scene before being airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Her grieving daughter said: "My mum went blue. The cows were staring at me, her lips went blue. I was screaming her name."
Marian's family are now urging the public to be more aware of the dangers of livestock and calling on farmers to take better control of their animals.
Chris Clode, Marian's husband, said: "Farmers should know it's the time of the year when cattle are with their calves and it could be dangerous and they have to look after the public."
Alistair Nixon, the farmer who owns the cow that killed Marian, said: "The cattle broke past us, which is why there was nobody in front of the herd with a stockman behind.
"We thought about chasing them but [that] would actually aggravate them into running faster.
"Unfortunately people were on the track. It was the first time [the cows] had been turned out on the grass. They had been in the winter housing for a long time so it was their first chance to exercise their legs.
"We were adhering to health and safety regulations... We tried to do everything right. This time it went wrong and has resulted in something tragic."
Marian's family paid tribute to their "funny, intelligent, beautiful grandmother, mother and wife".
Chris added: "My life has gone now. Here is someone who was very fit. Nothing is ever going to be the same again. It's just traumatic, so sad and silly and totally ridiculous this has happened."