Man avoids jail after encouraging XL Bully to attack police officer during Hexham arrest

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence for ordering an XL Bully to attack a police sergeant before trying to bite the officer himself.

Nathaniel Wardle, 20, was approached by police in Hexham, Northumberland on 31 October last year, running off with the dogs despite being told to stop, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

A police sergeant later caught up with him, grabbing Wardle by the shoulder but he broke free, telling the dogs to "get" the officer who suffered an arm injury when he was bitten.

Anthony Pettengel, prosecuting, told the court: "He ordered the dogs to attack the officer.

"The dogs became agitated. Most of the bites were to his padded jacket, fortunately, but one punctured his right upper arm."

Another officer arrived on the scene and used PAVA spray - similar to pepper spray - and the dog was deterred from attacking further.

But Mr Pettengel said: "The defendant then started trying to bite the officers himself and repeatedly pulled the dog closer to him as if trying to encourage them to attack again."

After a struggle lasting around five minutes, Wardle was arrested, claiming he became violent because he thought the officers were trying to seize his dogs.He was taken to the police van but while the doors were open he managed to break free before being detained again. He later denied setting the dogs on the officer.The sergeant who was bitten said in a victim impact statement he had never experienced such an attack, which he branded "disgraceful and reprehensible". He was left worried and fearful about the consequences of being bitten by the dog.

Wardle was bailed, failed to attend court then was bailed again.

In a later incident on 26 November while still on bail, Wardle said he had taken ecstasy. He was searched and found to have a hunting knife and a catapult. He was released on bail but then failed to attend another court hearing.Wardle, who has 19 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the dog attack, possessing a bladed article and two offences of failing to attend court.

In mitigation, the court was told Wardle had been suffering from mental health issues at the time of the attack after witnessing his dad being unlawfully killed.

Ian Cook, defending, said: "Life has been utterly chaotic for this still very young defendant for some time. The offence involving an assault with a dog is a particularly concerning offence, deeply unpleasant."He has be really struggling with his mental health for some time now, since the death of his father, who was killed in horrific circumstances, which the defendant saw."Those who were alleged to have been responsible were acquitted of his father's murder and, for whatever reason, the difficulty his father and those people had has now been placed at the feet of the defendant and his younger brother.

"He is continuing to have problems with those who, in his mind, were responsible for his father's murder."Judge Stephen Earl sentenced Wardle, of Lancaster Hill, Peterlee, County Durham, to two years suspended for two years with £300 compensation.

The judge told him: "You encouraged your dog to bite him and bite him he did and he suffered injury as a result of that."He added: "You are before the court for a very serious offence and are lucky I'm not sentencing you to immediate custody.

"I believe you can still be offered help which can divert you from the criminal justice system."

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