A tragic incident in Southend-on-Sea has left a family mourning after a woman died while trying to stop her dogs from fighting over a chicken nugget.
Michelle Hempstead, 34, suffered a fatal injury in July 2024 after being bitten by her rottweiler-mastiff cross, Trigg, during a scuffle between the dog and her pomeranian. According to testimony at Essex Coroner’s Court, Hempstead’s partner, Samuel West, explained that she was “caught in the crossfire” after tossing a McDonald’s chicken nugget in the air for the dogs to share.
The larger dog snapped at the smaller one, accidentally biting Hempstead near her left armpit and upper arm. The wound severed an artery and vein, leading to severe blood loss and, ultimately, multi-organ failure. She collapsed outside her home in Retort Close and was pronounced dead in the early hours of July 30.
Trigg was later seized and euthanized. The coroner emphasized the bite was not malicious, while West described the dog as “docile” and deeply bonded with Hempstead.
Police initially investigated reports of other large dogs linked to the property, but officers found no evidence they were present at the time. West, who was briefly arrested, was released without charge.
Hempstead’s mother, Karen, remembered her daughter as “loving, resilient, hardworking, generous, and extremely brave.”
Essex Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes called the loss a “double tragedy,” as Hempstead had lost her eldest daughter just weeks earlier. He ruled her death an accidental consequence of an innocent act.