Dog bite victim died from complications of leg wound, inquest hears

A man bitten by a dog on a footpath died from complications of a wound on his leg, an inquest has heard.

James Judge, 55, died after an incident on the old train line footpath off Blacker Lane in Wakefield on 15 August.

Lee Ellis, 55, of Calder Grove, Wakefield, has been charged with manslaughter and being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.

On Monday, an inquest into Mr Judge’s death was opened and adjourned.

Acting senior coroner Oliver Longstaff said Mr Judge died in Leeds General Infirmary, where he was taken after the incident, and was identified by his mother.

A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as complications of a right leg wound caused by a dog bite.

The inquest heard Mr Judge was unmarried and was born in Horbury, Wakefield, where he was also living at the time of his death.

Mr Longstaff said the inquest would be adjourned, pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

“Whether an inquest is required to be resumed cannot be answered until the conclusion of that process,” he added.

Ellis is due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 26 September.

During his first appearance at Bradford Magistrates Court, his solicitor said the incident started over an argument about “right of way”.