A man who was accused of urging his dog to attack police officers who attended his Egremont home has been acquitted by a jury of allegations he denied.
Tony Wardle, aged 51, stood trial at Carlisle Crown Court having pleaded not guilty to two charges.
One alleged he assaulted a police sergeant, while a second alleged that he was in charge of a dog which case injury whilst dangerously out of control.
Both charges were brought following an incident at Mr Wardle’s Lamb Court home on the late afternoon of August 18 last year, when the sergeant and three PCs went to speak with him about an earlier allegation.
It was alleged that, as the officers entered his property, he had said “words similar to ‘go and get them’” to his pet dog, Digger, which then bit the sergeant.
But, giving evidence, Mr Wardle denied that he uttered such a sentence, insisting he had instead stated “get in, Digger”.
“To get him out of the way of what was going on,” he told jurors by way of explanation. “So he couldn’t get harmed or anything.”
Mr Wardle said he didn’t have control of the dog because officers “had hold of me”.
This afternoon (February 24), a jury found him not guilty of both charges, unanimously, after hearing all evidence in the case and deliberating.
“So far as this court is concerned you are free to leave,” the trial judge, Recorder Simon Killeen, said to Mr Wardle. “You are discharged from the dock. Thank you very much.”
