UK Mom Feeds Pet Dogs Chicken Nuggets, Pays With Her Life In Freak Accident

A UK mom was fatally injured while feeding her two pet dogs chicken nuggets. A coroner has ruled her death an accident.

What happened: According to a report by The Independent, the incident occurred in July 2024. Authorities held an inquest into the death of 34-year-old Michelle Hempstead on September 29, 2025.

• During Monday’s hearing, the court heard that Hempstead was throwing chicken nuggets to her two dogs. Pom, a Pomeranian, and Trigg, a Mastiff Rottweiler cross. Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes reportedly explained that Pom “had a go at Trigg.”
• Trigg retaliated. “This is a big dog with big jaws,” Brookes explained. During the scuffle, Trigg reportedly caught the mom’s upper left arm and severed an artery. Brooked claimed that the dogs were usually well-behaved. He allegedly described Trigg as a “gentle giant.”
• The Independent reveals that Hempstead’s former partner, Samuel West, told the hearing he recalled her buying a box of 20 McDonald’s nuggets. West claimed she enjoyed throwing them into the air for Pom. “He used to growl and snap when he wanted to get the nugget first,” he said.
• The outlet explains that, according to West, Trigg “didn’t have a bad bone in his body” and would even sleep on Hempstead’s bed. He described the incident as “an absolute freak accident.”

The Mom Passed Away In The Hospital The Following Day

Multiple organ failure: Per the BBC, the incident occurred on July 29. Essex Police Acting Insp James McLean-Brown told the court that Hempstead suffered a “catastrophic injury” and collapsed outside her flat.

• The mom reportedly suffered multiple organ failure owing to severe blood loss. Per The Independent, emergency services rushed Hempstead to the Royal London Hospital, but she died early in the morning on July 30.
• The outlet cites bodycam footage from a responding officer. West reportedly said at the time, Hemsptead, “threw the nugget up in the air. She was just caught in the crossfire.”
• Brookes stressed that the bite was “not malicious” and occurred during a “brief fight” between the two dogs. Per the BBC, the coroner concluded Hampstead’s death was accidental and an “unintended consequence of an otherwise innocent act.”

According to Sky News, a previous police report said authorities seized two dogs from the property and were “disclaimed for destruction.”