A woman who died after being attacked by her dog had run screaming from her ground floor flat before collapsing in a pool of blood, shocked neighbours revealed.
The victim, named locally as Michelle Hempstead, 34, managed to climb over her balcony rail before sprinting around 60 yards to a children’s play area, where she fell unconscious against a wall.
Locals who rushed outside following the commotion late on Monday night in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, went over to help and found her with blood pouring from a deep wound to her arm.
Paramedics arrived within minutes and took Ms Hempstead to hospital with ‘life-threatening injuries’ but doctors were unable to save her and she died the following day.
Neighbours said Ms Hempstead, who has a distinctive tattoo on her face, kept a rottweiler-cross type dog and a Pomeranian, although they said there had been no previous concerns about their behaviour.
Locals who rushed outside following the commotion late on Monday night in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, (pictured) went over to help and found her with blood pouring from a deep wound to her arm
The victim, named locally as Michelle Hempstead, 34, managed to climb over her balcony rail before sprinting around 60 yards to a children’s play area (pictured), where she fell unconscious against a wall
Neighbours said Ms Hempstead, who has a distinctive tattoo on her face, kept a rottweiler-cross type dog and a Pomeranian, although they said there had been no previous concerns about their behaviour (Pictured: General view of Ms Hempstead’s flat)
Police seized both dogs after the tragic incident and said the pet believed to have attacked its owner had been ‘assessed by a dog liaison officer as not a banned breed’.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I was at home with my partner when we heard screaming.
‘He went to help and I called an ambulance. By the time he had got down to her, she had run across to near the play area and had collapsed.
‘She was unconscious and had a really nasty wound to the top of her arm. It was evidently a dog bite.
‘I think she had climbed out of her flat out over her balcony. I came out to help. She had run screaming and made it against a wall.
‘We had to move her to see where the blood was coming from. It is just awful that she has died. I can only think it was because of the blood loss.
‘We did our best to try and stop the bleeding. There were people coming out to help and trying to talk to her, calling her ‘Shelly’ or ‘Michelle’.
‘She was wearing her nightclothes and we tried to cover her up.’
The neighbour said Ms Hempstead had a partner and was devoted to her dogs.
She added: ‘She was quite friendly. We had had a puppy last year and she would stop us to see how he was getting on.
‘I was not aware of any problems with her dogs. There was a boy aged around 14 or 15 who would come to her flat to walk the big dog.
‘We saw both dogs being taken out early in the morning and they were both walking happily on a lead.’
Neighbours said they believed Ms Hempstead was unemployed and had lived in the £200,000 flat for several years (Pictured: general view of Ms Hempstead’s flat)
Police seized both dogs after the tragic incident and said the pet believed to have attacked its owner had been ‘assessed by a dog liaison officer as not a banned breed’ (Pictured: general view of Ms Hempstead’s flat)
One neighbour said Ms Hempstead had a partner and was devoted to her dogs (Pictured: general view of Ms Hempstead’s flat)
Other neighbours said they believed Ms Hempstead was unemployed and had lived in the £200,000 flat for several years.
Essex Police said Ms Hempstead was treated at the scene at about 11.30pm before being taken to the Royal London Hospital, where she died ‘despite the best efforts of doctors’.
A spokesman added: ‘We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident at this time and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
‘Two dogs have been seized from the address.’
Detective Superintendent Gary Biddle, of Essex Police, added: ‘Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the woman involved at this time.’
Under UK law, Breed Specific Legislation bans the ownership of four types of dogs including some traditionally bred for fighting.
These are the Pit bull terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Braziliero and the XL Bully.
Dogs that are suspected of being a banned type are typically seized by police and held in kennels away from the owner.
Banned types can be kept and exempted from euthanasia if they don’t pose a risk to public safety and the owner is considered fit to keep them.
For a banned dog to be exempt from euthanasia they must be neutered, microchipped, muzzled and kept on a lead in a public space, kept securely in a home and cannot be taken out in public with anyone under the age of 16.
The XL Bully is the most recent breed to have been banned. It is now a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a valid Certificate of Exemption.
