Farmer wearing red hat killed by bull Wife Amanda said Mr Rook was usually able to put the animal at ease but on this occasion the bull did not recognise his owner and so attacked him. She told the court: "He had a lot of heavy clothing on because it was bitterly cold and he had a red fleece hat on which changed the shape of his head. He always wore a cap or was bare-headed. He also didn't have his car which the bull would always recognise. I can only imagine he was about to show the people he had just spoken to he could calm the situation down and things were alright. He loved animals and thought he could have curtailed him. In my own mind I feel the bull didn't recognise Ian. A family sitting at the side of the field in a BMW watched on in horror as the bull, three, killed his owner. The court heard workers threw sticks at the bull and tempted him away from Mr Rook's lifeless body using horse nuts given to them by the people in the car. Once the bull had moved onto a nearby field they shut him in using a forklift truck and tried to revive the farmer. He was taken from Clanfield, a village near Waterlooville, to nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mrs Rook added the bull, which they had had on the farm for around 14 months, had always been docile but had begun to show some aggresion of late. She added: "The bull had started to develop a character. I had been with my husband when he had approached the bull before and it would recognise his car and start to paw at the ground. Ian would go up to the bull and stroke him behind the ear and say to him: 'Hello William what's all this about?'. As soon as he touched him the bull would stop pawing the ground. It was like throwing a switch. He had complete control, or so he thought. Health and Safety Inspector Elizabeth Warren, who investigated Mr Rook's death, said: "Mr Rook entered the field where the bull had been snorting loudly. He approached the bull who had its head down. Mr Rook stroked the bull's head the bull raised his head and tossed Mr Rook into the air. It proceeded to push Mr Rook along the ground with its head towards the gate and then trampled on him. Mrs Warren added: "Mr Rook was seen lying in the field by the gate. The bull was close to him, snorting. Nearby workers managed to get Mr Rook out of the field and gave him CPR. Mr Rook was taken to hospital but unfortunately didn't survive. The bull was later destroyed. Cause of death was given by pathologist Barbara Borek as: "Severe chest injuries caused by the attack by the bull." A jury of seven men and four women, sitting at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Hants, took just 20 minutes to reach a verdict of accidental death. Afterwards coroner David Horsley for Portsmouth and South East Hampshire David Horsley said: "I would like to express my sincere condolences to Mrs Rook and her entire family." A tearful Mrs Rook added: "Farming was his life. We had had a bull before that was related to this one and was incredibly docile. We hoped this one would be the same. The National Farmers' Union paid tribute to Mr Rook, who was Hampshire NFU chairman from 1992 until 1993. NFU South East Regional Director William White said: "Ian Rook was very well known throughout the Hampshire farming community and will be sorely missed. He was an experienced farmer and this tragedy has come as a real shock to us all. Ian will be remembered for his warm-hearted personality - he was well liked throughout the local community. Mr Rook left behind his wife and grown-up children Tim and Louise.