First conviction of police dog attacker under Finn's Law

A 29-year-old man has become the first person prosecuted under Finn's Law - named after the injured Hertfordshire police dog who saved his handler's life.

Daniel O'Sullivan, from Bowland Drive in Liverpool, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal during an appearance at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today (Monday, August 5).

He stabbed Staffordshire Police dog Audi in the head after the animal and his handler, PC Karl Mander, responded to reports of a man with a knife in Hanley last month.

When they arrived at the scene, they found O'Sullivan holding a glass bottle in one hand and a knife in the other. He threatened to stab them if they approached him.

PD Audi was sent in after O'Sullivan refused to follow orders from the police and was stabbed twice in the head.

Today, the 29-year-old was jailed for 21 months in total for injuring a police dog, five counts of assault and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

It is the first prosecution under Finn's Law, which became law following the tireless campaigning of supporters of PD Finn from Hertfordshire Police.

Finn was seriously injured when he was stabbed in the chest and head trying to protect PC Dave Wardell in 2016. At the time, only criminal damage charges could be brought against his attacker.

Finn's Law means service animals are no longer treated as "force property" when it comes to injuries.

PC Wardell and Finn responded to the conviction of O'Sullivan on Twitter calling it "amazing news".

PD Audi was injured on July 1 and returned to work just over three weeks later, on July 24.

PC Mandler said the dog had recovered more quickly than first expected.