Two brothers have been sentenced for failing to protect the public from their cattle, after a man was killed by a herd of cows while crossing a right of way.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Andrew and David Turnbull failed to offer and display signs of an alternative route to a public right of way.
The workplace safety watchdog prosecuted the pair following the death of former teacher David Clark, who was killed by cows while crossing the right of way in September 2020.
He had been running with his two dogs on land in the Coalsgarth Valley, North Yorkshire, when he was surrounded by a numbers of cows.
Witnesses reported that one of the cows then turned back and ran towards the 59-year-old, causing a fatal blow to his chest.
The father-of-three was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The HSE said: "Guidance suggests a number of ways that farmers should follow to control the hazards for walkers when keeping cattle in fields where the public have access.
"These all start through properly assessing the risks posed by cattle to users of public footpaths and implementing suitable protective and preventative measures to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable."
At Teesside Crown Court on 3 March, Andrew Turnbull, 57, was fined £1,589 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs, while his brother, David Turnbull, 61, was fined £1,390 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
Following this, HSE inspector Elliot Archer said: “Andrew and David Turnbull failed to do all that was reasonably practicable to prevent members of the public being put at risk by their cattle.
"Farmers need to be aware of the risk their cattle pose to members of the public and take suitable protective and preventative measures to mitigate that risk.”
