A man police officers were trying to arrest used his Staffordshire Bull Terrier “as a weapon,” leaving two officers with serious wounds.
When police arrived after a domestic disturbance, Sean Michael Bell was intoxicated and sat in his car outside the home of his ex-partner.
Bell told his 10-year-old Staff dog, Buster, to “get them,” and Buster bit both the male and female officers up to five times each.
The 37-year-old was taken into custody and handcuffed, but he also punched the officers.
Bodycam footage shows Bell shouting ‘piggy c***s’ as the female officer’s ‘blood chilling’ screams rang out.
A court heard she was left with ‘significant trauma’, permanent nerve damage in her leg, and now has an ‘absolute fear of dogs’.
Her colleague later said he would ‘never forget’ her screams of pain during the attack in Blyth, Northumberland, in January last year.
Recorder Mark Giuliani told Bell: ‘Both officers treated you with respect throughout. The male officer went to your car as the female officer went to the house.
‘Your dog was in the back seat, and it became clear you had been involved in a dispute with your then-partner and police wished to arrest you.
‘When the male officer took hold of your arm, you told the dog to attack. Buster jumped out of the seat, barked and proceeded to bite the officer.’
Nicoleta Alistari, defending, said Buster was ‘not dangerous unless in the hands of someone not fit and proper’.
Recorder Giuliani added Bell’s ‘chaotic’ home environment was ‘not suitable’ for Buster and ordered the dog to be destroyed.
Bell was jailed for eight and a half years and banned from keeping animals for 18 years.