A 34-year-old mother of five died after being bitten by one of her dogs during a dispute over chicken nuggets, an inquest has heard. Michelle Hempstead of Southend-on-Sea was feeding her two dogs - a Pomeranian named Pom and a mastiff-rottweiler cross named Trigg - at her Essex flat on July 29, 2024, when the incident occurred. The larger dog, Trigg, bit Ms. Hempstead around her left armpit and upper arm while snapping at the smaller dog during the food dispute.

The bite severed an artery and vein, leading to traumatic blood loss that ultimately caused multiple organ failure. Ms. Hempstead was rushed to hospital following the incident but tragically passed away the next day at the Royal London Hospital. Bystanders had initially rushed to provide first aid after hearing her screams during the incident at her flat.

At the Essex Coroner's Court hearing in Chelmsford, Ms. Hempstead's partner Samuel West described the incident as an "absolute freak accident." He told the court that Ms. Hempstead had bought McDonald's food and "had a box of, I think, 20 nuggets" that she liked to throw in the air for the dogs. Mr. West explained that as Pom went to get a nugget, "Trigg's done this thing where he chomps his mouth" and accidentally caught Ms. Hempstead under the arm.

Senior coroner Lincoln Brookes noted the additional tragedy that Ms. Hempstead and her family had suffered another bereavement just weeks before when her daughter passed away. The coroner accepted evidence that both dogs were "quite well behaved" and described Trigg as "an otherwise gentle giant." Mr. West emphasized that Trigg "didn't have a bad bone in his body" and never showed aggression prior to the incident.

Families of the 29 victims killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash are escalating their decades-long fight for answers, preparing to deliver a petition with more than 47,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding a public inquiry. The Chinook Justice Campaign has published 110 "critical questions" they want answered about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 25 intelligence experts and four special forces crew members when the aircraft crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on June 2, 1994.

The campaign comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, prompting families to declare they will "see the UK government in court." Among those delivering the petition on Tuesday are brothers Andy and Matt Tobias from Watford, whose father John Tobias was killed in the crash. The petition delivery will be accompanied by an attempt to deliver a letter directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Central to the families' concerns are questions about mission authorization, aircraft selection, and whether those on board were properly warned of risks. The campaign has gained momentum amid revelations that key documents related to the crash have been sealed until 2094—a century after the incident occurred. David Hill, technical expert for the Chinook Justice Campaign, characterized the government's position as "a betrayal by the state of them and their loved ones."

The crash investigation has followed a contentious path over the past three decades. Initial findings blamed pilot error for the tragedy, but this conclusion was overturned in 2011. The continuing secrecy surrounding the incident has drawn criticism from campaigners who argue it "undermines trust not only in the MoD but in the government itself." As families prepare to confront the government directly, the case represents one of Britain's longest-running military accountability battles.