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| Man who stabbed police dog in Stoke-on-Trent jailed under new law | Man who stabbed police dog in Stoke-on-Trent jailed under new law |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A man who stabbed a police dog in the head in a "gratuitous" attack while high on drugs has become the first person to be jailed under Finn's Law. | A man who stabbed a police dog in the head in a "gratuitous" attack while high on drugs has become the first person to be jailed under Finn's Law. |
| Daniel O'Sullivan, 29, admitted attacking Audi as his handler tried to make an arrest in Stoke-on-Trent. | Daniel O'Sullivan, 29, admitted attacking Audi as his handler tried to make an arrest in Stoke-on-Trent. |
| O'Sullivan, of Liverpool, was the first person charged under the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019. | O'Sullivan, of Liverpool, was the first person charged under the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019. |
| Judge Paul Glenn said the attack on 1 July was "plainly premeditated" and jailed O'Sullivan for 21 months. | Judge Paul Glenn said the attack on 1 July was "plainly premeditated" and jailed O'Sullivan for 21 months. |
| O'Sullivan, from the Litherland area, also admitted five counts of assaulting police officers and two of possessing offensive weapons. | |
| A member of the public called police after being concerned about O'Sullivan's behaviour near the Potteries shopping centre in Quadrant Road, Hanley town centre, at about 14:15 BST. | A member of the public called police after being concerned about O'Sullivan's behaviour near the Potteries shopping centre in Quadrant Road, Hanley town centre, at about 14:15 BST. |
| Howard Searle, prosecuting, said he was seen "bouncing up and down, punching the air with the knife, making practice lunges". | |
| Several police officers arrived, including PC Karl Mander and Audi, and O'Sullivan was found with a 4in lock-knife in one hand and a glass bottle in the other. | Several police officers arrived, including PC Karl Mander and Audi, and O'Sullivan was found with a 4in lock-knife in one hand and a glass bottle in the other. |
| The court heard O'Sullivan was high on cocaine and the synthetic drug known as monkey dust at the time. | |
| Officers ordered O'Sullivan to drop the knife, but he refused and threw a glass bottle at them, at which point the police dog was released. | Officers ordered O'Sullivan to drop the knife, but he refused and threw a glass bottle at them, at which point the police dog was released. |
| O'Sullivan stabbed Audi near the eye and tried to stab him again, before being chased by officers, when he was tasered and fell to the floor. | O'Sullivan stabbed Audi near the eye and tried to stab him again, before being chased by officers, when he was tasered and fell to the floor. |
| In the scuffle he also kicked an officer in the head. | In the scuffle he also kicked an officer in the head. |
| 'Gratuitous attack' | 'Gratuitous attack' |
| Sentencing O'Sullivan Judge Glenn said he had been "screaming threats, including that [he] would stab the dog handler". | Sentencing O'Sullivan Judge Glenn said he had been "screaming threats, including that [he] would stab the dog handler". |
| The judge said it had been called a "gratuitous" and "plainly premeditated" assault on Audi and O'Sullivan had gone on to be aggressive to hospital staff when he was admitted for treatment. | The judge said it had been called a "gratuitous" and "plainly premeditated" assault on Audi and O'Sullivan had gone on to be aggressive to hospital staff when he was admitted for treatment. |
| "O'Sullivan was out to seriously hurt PD Audi and it was lucky that he wasn't blinded or killed as a result of his injuries," Det Insp Stephen Ward said. | "O'Sullivan was out to seriously hurt PD Audi and it was lucky that he wasn't blinded or killed as a result of his injuries," Det Insp Stephen Ward said. |
| Audi has since returned to work with Staffordshire Police and has "recovered well", the force said. | Audi has since returned to work with Staffordshire Police and has "recovered well", the force said. |
| PC Mander said last month Audi had had "lots of rest and TLC", adding there did not seem "to be any lasting damage to him". | PC Mander said last month Audi had had "lots of rest and TLC", adding there did not seem "to be any lasting damage to him". |
| O'Sullivan was also charged with one count of affray, which he denied. | O'Sullivan was also charged with one count of affray, which he denied. |
| O'Sullivan - who had previous convictions for attacking police, battery and affray - was the first person to be charged under the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019 - also known as Finn's Law - since it was introduced. | O'Sullivan - who had previous convictions for attacking police, battery and affray - was the first person to be charged under the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019 - also known as Finn's Law - since it was introduced. |
| Before the act was passed, attacks on police dogs were treated as criminal damage. | Before the act was passed, attacks on police dogs were treated as criminal damage. |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |