Two males who attacked three police officers with a knife, including police dog Quantum, after going on a violent robbery spree, have received custodial sentences totalling 31-years after being convicted of a series of serious crimes.
Of the 31-year sentence handed down to the males, just 2 months were given for the injuries which PD Quantum sustained according to a tweet shared on the @FinnForChange twitter account.
The tweet from @FinnForChange said:
‘We have now received the breakdown as to the sentence applied to PD Quantum. Remember, found guilty of Criminal Damage.
‘Length of sentence: 2 months immediate custodial sentence.
‘It’s time for #FinnsLaw to progress to Committee.’
Police Dog Quantum suffered serious stab wounds on 15th March in Nottingham. He had nine stitches and required specialist training before being able to return back to work.
Three police officers also sustained knife injuries in the same attack in Ridgeway, Top Valley. All officers were discharged from hospital shortly after the attack.
Talking about the series of violent incidents which led to the two males being arrested and convicted, a post shared on the Nottinghamshire Police Facebook page said:
‘Two men, who went on a robbery rampage in the Radford, Bulwell and Nuthall areas of Nottingham have been sentenced to a combined total of 31 years in prison.
‘Nathan Whyler, 30, and Dwain Claude West, 26, of Pedmore Valley in Bestwood, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court today (Thursday 11 October 2018) having previously pleaded guilty to three robberies, attempted robbery and aggravated vehicle taking.
‘West pleaded guilty to additional counts of robbery, section 20 wounding, threatening another with an offensive weapon, assault with intent to resist or prevent lawful apprehension, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage [PD Quantum].
‘The pair were arrested after reports that a car was on its roof on a roundabout in Top Valley at around 7am on 15 March.
‘They had fled the scene but were tracked down through witness accounts and council CCTV.
‘Police Dog Quantum was deployed and had followed a track which led to their location but the two offenders still tried to evade capture, West lashed out violently with a knife injuring PD Quantum to the face, and two police officers who suffered slash wounds to their face and hands before eventually the two offenders were taken into custody.’
‘It transpired that Whyler and West had been on the tail end of a robbing spree which started around 3.25am that day at a property in Wallan Street.
‘They had consecutively broken into three different rooms, tied the men up with sellotape, assaulted them and threatened them at knife point before stealing property such as wallets, bank cards, tablet devices, cash and mobile phones.
‘One of the men was left in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed in his chest. Another needed hospital treatment having suffered a gash to his head after he was hit with a metal pole.
‘At around 3.55am West then attacked a man as he walked along Northdown Road, threatening him with a knife and stealing his phone, watch, bag and cigarettes. He appeared to be acting alone at this point.
‘The pair joined up again at around 6.45am when they attacked a couple in their own home in Meadow Rise, again threatening them with a knife, tying them up with cords, masking and duct tape and stealing cash, mobile phones and BMW which was the vehicle they went on to crash at the roundabout.
‘In sentencing, the judge acknowledged West as the ringleader of the events and he was sentenced to 19 years in prison and disqualified from driving for 11-and-a-half years.
‘Whyler was given 12 years behind bars and disqualified from driving for seven years.
Detective Inspector Gareth Harding said:
“In my 17 years in the police I have never seen two people commit such a violent series of crimes in such a short space of time.
“The devastation and disruption they caused is unmeasurable and some of their victims will never get over what happened to them.
“I’d like to thank the victims who have been incredibly brave in seeing this case through court and we hope they find some comfort in the sentencing result.
“I’d like to thank the officers that attended the incident and detained the suspects in the face of such sustained and violent resistance and of course PD Quantum.
“They showed incredible professionalism and bravery.
“I would also like to thank the officers who worked on this case compiling a compelling body of evidence, ensuring these two violent criminals have been brought to justice for their actions.”
The sentence of two months allocated for the attack on PD Quantum once again raises the urgent need for ‘Finns Law’ to progress to Committee.
‘Finns Law was launched after the stabbing of a police dog named Finn, who was chasing a suspect in Hertfordshire in October 2016. His handler, PC Dave Wardell, was also injured.
Finn and PC Wardell survived and returned to work 11 weeks later.
The campaign has gained a lot of public support, with more than 135,000 people signing a petition to give status to police dogs and horses as officers.
No current laws specifically protect police dogs or horses.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering while the Criminal Damage Act 1971 classes animals as property capable of being “damaged and destroyed”.
However, campaigners say police dogs and other service animals shouldn’t be regarded as “objects” or “property” and call for a new law which recognises their individual contribution to public safety.
If you have a blog that you would like us to share with our readers and followers, then please feel free to contact our team of former emergency services personnel by using any of the details below.
If you have an emergency services related story, video (that you have filmed) or opinion (whether its light-hearted or serious) that you want us to share with our readers, then you can reach our team using any of the details below.
We treat all correspondence with anonymity!
Email: emergency_services_humour@outlook.com | Follow & find us on Twitter @ES_Humour | Follow & find us on Facebook @EmergencyServicesHumour
Before you go...
WE NEED YOUR HELP.Here at Emergency Services News, we aim to tell you stories that the mainstream media are not interested in reporting. Whilst the MSM love to berate and ridicule the emergency services, who is there to report on the realities of serving on the front line?
Emergency Services News is currently a loss-making entity. But our team of volunteers, all former emergency services personnel, do not do it for the money.
We do it because we are sick and tired of the mainstream media constantly trying to undermine the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep you and your family safe.
How many MSM journalists who speak ill of the emergency services have actually dared to don the uniform and risk their own lives to save the life of a complete stranger? If you would like to help back our mission of reporting on fact-based news, then please consider helping to support us financially.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
