FT259

On holiday in northern Scotland on 23 May 2009, Steven Sewell was playing with his partially blind dog, Judy, while his son was fly-fishing. The retired teacher picked up a stick and was about to throw it when the 10-year-old Alsatian-doberman cross leapt up and bit his finger to the bone. He didn’t wash the wound or put a plaster on straight away. On 29 May, he complained of feeling cold and shivery and the family made the 300-mile journey home to Hipperholme, Yorkshire, the following day. By the time they got back, Mr Sewell had started suffering from diarrhœa and loss of sens­ation in his fingers. He was taken to hosp­ital, but died on 31 May from encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain.

Metro, 6 Nov 2009.