Wine critic sues actress-turned-dog sitter after pet cockapoo run over
A leading wine critic is suing an actress-turned-dog sitter after his cockapoo was run over while in her care.
Harry Eyres blames Kendra Torgan for the serious spinal injuries his dog Ebony suffered after it was hit by a car outside her home in Walthamstow, north-east London.
The 66-year-old said he had been forced to spend thousands of pounds on life-saving surgery for the dog, described as a 'beloved member' of his family.
Mr Eyres hopes to recoup the cost of the treatment from Ms Torgan, who he blames for letting the cockapoo escape from her garden. It was hit after running into the path of a passing estate agent's car.
The former Etonian is seeking up to £30,000 in damages at Central London County Court. The case is also expected to incur legal costs of more than £150,000.
Ms Torgan, who starred as a 'beautiful female assassin' in the 1998 British crime thriller Killing Time before setting up a business offering pet 'whispering' and 'outdoor adventures for dogs', denies the incident was her fault.
Mr Eyres, who is also an author and poet, has written for publications including Country Life magazine. He was also formerly a theatre critic for The Times, wine editor for Harpers and Queen, and has penned columns for publications including the Financial Times and The Spectator.
His lawyers said Ebony 'wandered into the road' while being looked after by Ms Torgan at her then home in Walthamstow in October 2022.
The dog was then struck by a car driven by an employee of estate agent firm Dexters.
Mr Eyres claims Ms Torgan 'negligently failed to supervise the dog' and also 'failed to call the dog back once it left her side'.
Following the collision, the car's driver took Ebony and Ms Torgan to an emergency veterinary clinic before the pet was transferred to an animal hospital in Marlow for urgent treatment, court documents revealed.
Although the dog survived, it suffered a fractured spine which needed repeated reconstructive surgery, with metalwork and screws inserted to hold its broken bones together.
Mr Eyres said he was shocked when Ms Torgan wrote his lawyers an email suggesting 'euthanasia' might be a cheaper option than surgery, according to court documents.
'In order to prevent the vertebrae from collapsing, a revision of the original spinal surgery needed to be performed on 30 March 2023, involving removal of the original implant and screws and their replacement with a new larger implant and 13 screws,' his lawyers said. They added that the dog's treatment remained ongoing.
The case papers said: 'Mr Eyres's insurers have confirmed that they will not pay out any sums, he will say that the dog was left with Ms Torgan and she owed him a duty to take care of Ebony.'
Mr Eyres, from Queens Park, is also suing Dexters, which also denies blame.
Caitlin Corrigan, Dexters's barrister, said Ms Torgan had 'not filed a defence'. But she added that Ms Torgan had argued in correspondence that she should not be sued as an individual and that the legal action should instead be directed towards her company, despite it being dissolved in 2023.
Ms Corrigan said the dog sitter had also claimed that the collision was 'unforeseeable', as the cockapoo ran out of her garden having 'forced the gate open herself'.
Outside court last week, Ms Torgan said: 'It was completely out of character as [Ebony] bolted out of the gate'.
The Dexters employee said he was driving with the utmost care. Elaine Everett, the firm's solicitor, claimed he had no chance of avoiding hitting the dog.
She added: 'Dexters will aver that [Ms Torgan] failed to control the dog in question, resulting in it suddenly running into the road.'
The loser in the court battle could face a bill of more than £180,000. Some £30,000 in damages is being sought, with Mr Eyres's costs estimated at £112,390, while those of Dexters are budgeted at £40,337.
The case will return for a full trial at a later date.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Dua Lipa parties with Callum Turner into the early hours after Wembley gig and says ‘adrenaline is one hell of a drug'
She was seen to wrap her arms around her partner in the middle of the dancefloor ONE KISS Dua Lipa parties with Callum Turner into the early hours after Wembley gig and says 'adrenaline is one hell of a drug' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DUA Lipa partied the night away with her fiance Callum Turner into the early hours after her 'dream' Wembley gig. The Levitating hitmaker took to the stage at the iconic London venue to perform a string of her hits. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 8 Dua Lipa celebrated her sell out Wembley gig with her fiance Callum Turner Credit: Instagram 8 The star raised a cocktail glass in celebration of realising a lifelong dream Credit: Instagram 8 She wrapped her arms around her partner as they shared an intimate moment on the dancefloor Credit: Instagram Dua, 29, realised a lifelong dream when she played to 70,000 adoring fans at Wembley Stadium. She first performed in the capital 10 years ago to just 350 people, but her latest sell-out gig was part of her worldwide Radical Optimism tour. The singer celebrated her incredible performance, with an exclusive after party at White City House in West London. On social media, she displayed some behind the scenes snaps as she took to her Instagram grid page. Pictures of the event showed her intimately dancing with her A-list actor fiance Callum Turner, 35. The One Kiss singer wrapped her arms around her husband as he gently caressed her derriere on the dancefloor. She also smiled and posed with friends as she beamed from ear to ear in a skimpy see-through sheer black dress. There were also personalised menus with a range of signature cocktails from the exclusive Soho House private members club venue. Flaunting her slim figure, she captioned the album: "Somehow managed to keep on dancing... adrenaline is one hell of a drug." During her Wembley set, the singer paraded in five different outfits as she pulled out all the stops to impress her fans. Dua Lipa surprises fans by bringing 90s band on stage as she stuns in diamonte bodysuit in front of star-studded crowd to Wembley This included a petrol-blue Balenciaga slip dress draped in a faux-fur coat lined with the Union Jack flag and a silver custom Swarovski bodysuit with matching Christian Louboutin boots. During her show she exclaimed: 'Wembley, thank you. It is something I've dreamt of my whole life, and all day I have been feeling so much love and gratitude to be here with you guys. 'It is just surreal. It feels like such a journey, but also like everything has happened so quickly. "I want to thank you for believing in me and trusting me, dancing with me, singing with me — and allowing me to wake up every single morning to do what I love to do. Looking out and seeing all you guys means the absolute world to me." Dua Lipa's love life: A history Who has Dua Lipa dated in the past? Isaac Carew Dua dated the British model and chef twice. The started dating in 2015 before splitting up two years later due to scheduling issues. They rekindled their romance in 2018 before splitting for good a year later. Paul Klein After she broke up from Isaac in 2017, she embarked on a new relationship that same year with the musician. They broke up after just five months of dating in 2018. Anwar Hadid One of her most high-profile relationships was with Anwar Hadid, brother of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid. Although they quarantined together during the COVID-19 Pandemic they called it quits in 2021 as Dua wanted to focus on being single Jack Harlow In December 2022, it was claimed that both of the music pairing were 'hanging out' together. Although after a few months it seemed that the relationship fizzled out. Romain Gavras The French director was first linked to Dua back in 2023 when they were seen in London leaving the BAFTA Awards afterparty together in February. They later walked the red carpet together at the Cannes Film Festival in May. They were later pictured together over the summer that year in July and August as they celebrated his birthday. She has since deleted mentions of him off of her Instagram. Callum Turner In January 2024, Callum celebrated the release of his Apple TV+ series, Masters of Air. The pair were spotted together at the afterparty of the premiere in Los Angeles. They were then spotted getting close on a number of dates. Insiders since revealed that the duo have travelled together and have met each other's families. The pair then became more public with their relationship before rumours circulated of an engagement over the festive period. The singer appeared to confirm the news on social media, posting a photo with her huge ring in plain sight. As she dazzled concertgoers in a white Valentino sheer lace catsuit, she added: "It has been ten years since our first London show and I just dreamt of a night like this." 8 Dua was beaming from ear to ear as she partied at White City House Credit: Instagram 8 The event was decked out with personalised menus in tribute Credit: Instagram 8 The singer posed with close pals as she posted a behind the scenes sneak peak of the boozy after party bash Credit: Instagram 8 She showed off her slim figure in a sheer see-through black gown Credit: Instagram
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Brit caught in Iran's revenge strike in Israel says she was buoyed by her ‘blitz spirit'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRITISH woman caught in Iran's revenge strikes after the US atom plant attack told how she was buoyed by her 'blitz spirit' yesterday. Nicola Simmonds, 58, was rocked by the biggest ballistic missile to blast Tel Aviv early yesterday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Nicola Simmonds, 58, was rocked by the biggest ballistic missile to blast Tel Aviv Credit: Doug Seeburg 5 Israeli emergency teams work at the site of an Iranian missile strike on a residential building complex in Tel Aviv Credit: EPA 5 Israeli emergency teams arrive at the scene and launch search and rescue operations Credit: Getty The tour guide told how fellow shelter dwellers gasped in terror as the explosion wrecked a low rise housing block and sent a blast of air through her bunker. Nicola - who grew up in Mill Hill, North London but now lives in the Ramat Aviv suburb 10 miles north of the city centre - said: 'I've heard blast before in recent days but nothing like this. 'There was an enormous boom followed by a rush of air and we knew this was big and very close. 'But I'm British and my grandfather was a volunteer ambulance driver in the London blitz - so I strangely didn't feel as afraid as everyone else. 'It was against all advice but I, kind of, crawled out of my hole and found myself heading straight for the site of the explosion. 'It's strange but it really did feel like the blitz - what my grandfather had braved in London, I was now experiencing in Tel Aviv.' A five storey block 600 metres from Nicola's home was devastated at 8am yesterday by an enormous Iranian missile strike. Bedding, clothes and belongings hung from the blown out shell of a block with other buildings blackened, cars wrecked and glass and debris strewn across the neighbourhood. The Sun's team took cover in a hotel shelter at 7.30am yesterday when sirens and alerts signalled the first revenge attack after Operation Midnight Hammer. Walls of our shelter in the city centre hotel shook violently as a series of explosions ripped through the air above. Wounded Iran immediately lashes out at Israel launching volleys of ballistic missiles causing 'large-scale destruction' Ramat Aviv took the biggest hit of the attack in the bustling coastal city as families across the country cowered bomb shelters. Gran-of-three Shevi Lahav - an 84-year-old holocaust survivor - told The Sun: 'I live on the fourth floor of a nine story block but don't know if I have a home to go back to now. 'I fled from the Nazis in Russian for two years in World War II and it's hard to believe I'm being attacked again. 'I was in the shelter but god knows what would have happened to me if I hadn't reached the shelter. 'But we won't give in - we didn't give in then and we won't give in now.' 5 Tel Aviv residents shelter in a hotel bunker as Iranian missiles hit the Israeli city Credit: Doug Seeburg
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Grinning David Beckham shows off his home grown veg to fans including 'embarrassing' misshapen carrot
ONION ME HEAD, SON Grinning David Beckham shows off his home grown veg to fans including 'embarrassing' misshapen carrot DAVID Beckham pops a couple in the onion bag — as he proudly displays his home-grown produce. His giggling wife Victoria, 51, filmed the ex-footballer, 50, harvesting greens and bulbs of garlic and onions in their Cotswolds garden. 3 David Beckham showed off his home grown veg in his Cotswolds garden Credit: victoriabeckham/Instagram 3 He also showed a misshapen carrot calling it 'embarrassing' Credit: Eroteme 3 David shows off his 'impressive' collection of garlic and onion Credit: instagram/davidbeckham However he also held up a short, misshapen carrot, saying: 'I've been waiting a while for this — that's embarrassing.' The dad of four, awarded a knighthood this month, added: 'To be fair, it had Lady Beckham laughing.' When it was announced that the former England star would be getting his knighthood, he posted: "Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. "To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true.' Becks added: 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' David has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity, which he said gave him "so much fulfilment". Spice Girl Victoria said she 'couldn't be prouder' of her husband. Taking to social media she shared a sweet photo hugging her husband, and planting a kiss on his cheek. The fashion designer penned a lengthy caption, which said: 'You've always been my knight in shining armour, but now it's official. 'Sir @davidbeckham!!! David Beckham proudly reveals his bees are making honey after he built a hive in garden of his Cotswolds mansion 'What an honour, I couldn't be prouder of you. 'Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. 'The way you've touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday. 'But above all else, I'm so, so proud to call you mine. 'I love you so much xxxx' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
