Animal-loving grandfather died as he whispered 'rooster' after violent chicken bites leg at Irish home, inquest hears
16 February 2023, 13:01
An animal-loving grandfather died after suffering a heart attack when his violent chicken bit him the back of his leg, an inquest has heard.
Jasper Kraus' chicken had already attacked a child when it bit its owner, who lost litres of blood due to the attack.
Mr Kraus, 67, who was found bleeding out by his daughter Virginia Guinan, whispered the word 'rooster' as he fell in and out of consciousness.
Emergency services were already at the scene and carried out CPR on Mr Kraus, but were unable to save him.
Mr Kraus, who was living near Ballinasloe at the time, formerly lived in The Hague, Netherlands, before moving to Ireland.
His daughter, Ms Guinan, 33, had been contacted by her father's lodger, Corey O'Keeffe, who lived at the property to look after the animals.
Read More: Man charged with animal cruelty after 40 dead cats found on London estate
He was woken by Mr Kraus screaming "come quick", the inquest heard. He performed CPR on Mr Kraus for nearly half an hour before emergency services arrived.
Mr Kraus bled out from his leg, the inquest heard, causing him to suffer a heart attack.
His daughter said she was not surprised by the attack, telling the inquest that the chicken had already attacked her daughter, according to The Irish Mirror.
She had already tried to get rid of the chicken, but said her animal-loving father wanted to keep it.
"My dad protested – he had too big of a heart and didn't want me to get rid of the rooster, so dad took it instead," she told the inquest.
Mr Kraus, who was a father of two and a grandfather of two, was in remission from cancer at the time, with the coroner noting his heart was "severely calcified" at the time of the attack.
Ms Guinan added: "People should be aware of the signs and get rid of any bird as soon as they show signs of aggression."
