Game of ‘fetch’ ends in tragedy for Hipperholme dog owner

Nov 5 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A RETIRED teacher died from a freak injury after he was accidentally bitten by his partially blind dog in a game of ‘fetch’.

Steven Sewell, of Rock Terrace in Hipperholme, was playing with his dog on holiday in Grantown-on-Spey near Inverness in northern Scotland in May.

The 55-year-old, who had taught at schools in Essex and Leeds, picked up a stick.

He was about to throw it when the 10-year-old Alsation-Doberman cross, called Judy, jumped up and bit his finger.

Mr Sewell, better known by his middle name Kim, felt fine at the time.

But the wound became infected and he died as a result of organ failure caused by septicaemia a few days later, a Huddersfield inquest heard.

Speaking after the inquest, his wife of 21 years, Angela, said Judy was not a vicious dog and was still the family pet.

She added: “It’s just tragic, but you have to accept it and move on.”

The inquest heard the couple were on holiday from May 23 with their son, David.

In the middle of the following week, David was fly-fishing while Mr Sewell played on the riverbank with Judy, who was losing her sight, when he was bitten.