Good Boy: Belligerent Geordie Disarmed by Snarling Land Shark

A police dog sank its teeth into the buttocks of a belligerent Geordie who refused to put down the baseball bat he was threatening officers with.

Conner Etchells, 28, of Pendower Way, Benwell, Newcastle, admitted an offence of affray when he appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court last week.

Affray is an offence under section 3 of the Public Order Act 1986. It has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 3 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment.

The court heard that police were called to a property in Benwell on the afternoon of Wednesday, 18th December 2024. They were responding to a report that a male, now identified as Etchells, was behaving aggressively towards the occupants inside.

An officer entered the property and was immediately confronted by the 28-year-old wielding a baseball bat. Etchells told the officer that he would be struck with the bat if he attempted to approach.

Paul Coulson, prosecuting, continued: "Due to the immediate threat, the officer came out the house and brought out his police dog to assist."

The officer re-entered the property, but the dog failed to have the desired effect, with Etchells continuing to make threats with the baseball bat.

Mr Coulson added: "The officer made repeated requests for him to drop the bat or he would release the dog. Due to continued threats and the defendant saying he was going to grab a machete, the officer gave a final warning saying he would deploy the police dog."

True to his word, the officer released forty kilos of snarling land shark in Etchell's direction. The dog found its target and sank its teeth into the hapless crook's rear end, which allowed officers to effect an arrest.

The machete Etchells had referred to was in fact a plastic toy sword.

Ian Wilson, mitigating, told the court that his client had been suffering from mental health problems, which had caused his behaviour to "spiral out of control".

District Judge Kate Meek, sentencing, said: "None of that excuses your behaviour but it does help me understand it."

Etchells was made subject to an 18-month community order, with a 6-month mental health treatment requirement.

He was also fined £150 and ordered to pay £114 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.