A TERMINALLY-ill pensioner died after a police dog searching her garden for a suspected drug dealer got into her home and savaged her, an inquest was told.

Irene Collins, 73, who was suffering from second-stage lung cancer as well as emphysema, gave permission for her Middlesbrough garden to be searched while police and dog handlers attempted to apprehend the suspect, who was on the run.

As the search, on July 16, 2014, progressed, a police dog got into her house on Penrith Road, Park End, and she was savaged more than once.

She was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough but died on July 20 after her heart and lungs failed.

A post-mortem examination showed her cause of death was due to heart and lung failure because of her cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the dog bite.

But pathologist Dr Mark Egan’s report concluded that she would not have died when she did, had it not been for the dog bite, Teesside Coroners Court was told.

Sergeant Neil Yeats, who was the most senior officer at the scene, told the inquest how he heard on the police radio that Mrs Collins had been bitten by the German Shepherd, Dano.

He went into the property and found the grandmother on the floor, bleeding from the head, the dog’s jaws around her arm, and dog handler PC Mark Baines trying to get the animal off.

The Northern Echo: EVIDENCE: Sergeant Neil Yeats, of Cleveland Police, gave evidence about how Irene Collins died, at Teesside Coroners Court Picture: GLEN MINIKIN

“She was lying on her side,” he said. “One of her arms was in the dog’s mouth and the dog was standing above her.

“PC Baines had hold of the dog by the collar.

“She also had a right lower leg injury. There was quite a lot of blood on the floor.”

PC Baines managed to get the dog off her and moved into another room, telling Sgt Yeats to close the door so the dog couldn’t get back – but there wasn’t a door, just an archway.

Sgt Yeats radioed for a medical kit and started to put gloves on to treat Mrs Collins’ injuries – but the dog managed to get back.

“The dog then again bites her right leg and locks on to the leg,” he said.

“I thought, how the hell has it got back in.

“Irene was screaming, she was upset, saying ‘why is this happening to me?’. I shouted PC Baines to get the dog off.

“He was trying to get the dog off.

“I held her hand and said ‘it is all right, we will get the dog off’.”

He said it took five to ten seconds until the dog obeyed its handler and released its grip.

He gave Mrs Collins first aid and oxygen until an ambulance arrived.

Her son Eric arrived at her home soon afterwards and told a police officer that the incident would ‘finish her off’.

Matthew Donkin, for the family, asked if Sgt Yeats, who was carrying a pistol, ever considered shooting the dog.

He replied: “I considered everything but that was not an option that was anywhere near viable.

“I was confident he would get the dog off in a reasonable time.”

Mrs Collins told an investigating officer the dog knocked her over and she suffered a broken arm.

Retired detective inspector Anthony Rock, formerly of professional standards, spoke to her in hospital after checking the house and claiming the back door did not close properly.

Jurors were told she told him she was in the kitchen when the dog came and she said: “I thought if I just stood still it wouldn’t bite me but it bit me on the arm.

“They got the dog off but it came back and got me by the leg.”

Mr Donkin asked him: “Didn’t Irene Collins also say that the dog was completely out of control?”

The retired detective replied: “I cannot recall that.”

The inquest continues.