Emergency Services News
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact
Emergency Services News
No Result
View All Result

Man JAILED For Stabbing Police Dog ‘Axle’

by John Johnson
10 October 2018
in Emergency Services News, Police Service
4 min read
0
Man JAILED For Stabbing Police Dog ‘Axle’
5
SHARES
235
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A knife-wielding man who threatened police officers before repeatedly stabbing a police dog has been jailed for more than six years.

Matthew Stretch sparked a manhunt in the Riddings area after he tried to attack a police officer who was attending an incident in High Street.

Armed with a hammer and a knife, he smashed the windows of the police vehicle and tried to assault the officer inside, who managed to escape.

Had the Officer inside of the police vehicle been armed, then he probably would not have had to run away from Stretch who was frantically wielding a knife and a hammer.

Stretch, aged 28, then ran away from the area while still in possession of the knife, triggering a search that involved our firearms unit, dog unit, and the regional police helicopter (NPAS).

Stretch was eventually cornered in woodland near Newlands Road, Golden Valley, and German Shepherd police dog Axle tried to detain him in the shallow waters of a disused canal.

During the incident, Stretch stabbed Axle three times and managed to climb out of the canal, where he was quickly confronted by armed police.

After threatening another officer with the knife, he was subdued and arrested.

Stretch, of Plantation Road, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, was jailed for six years and seven months after pleading guilty to charges including making threats to kill, assault, threatening with a blade, and two counts of criminal damage – one of which related to stabbing PD Axle.

Campaigners behind ‘Finns Law’ have been pushing for some time now to afford better protection to service animals as, under the current law, they are treated merely as ‘property’.

Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: “The public call upon the police to help them when they are most in need.

“We have a duty to protect the public but we are all too often prevented from doing so due to violent individuals who choose to attack those who are there to help them.

“Most importantly it should be remembered that police officers and staff are people, they are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.

“When they are attacked they become victims just like any other, but victims who have been attacked while trying to protect others from being victimised.”

The incident, on July 4, left Axle needing emergency life-saving surgery at Scarsdale Veterinary Centre, on Pride Park, Derby.

The public were quite rightly extremely angry after hearing about what happened to PD Axle after pictures of the dog with the horrendous injuries went viral.

The incident also had a lasting effect on the police officers who were threatened with a knife by Stretch.

According to Derbyshire Constabulary, those officers have been supported since the incident and Mr Goodman said the lasting impact of it should not be forgotten.

He said: “Having spoken to the officers Stretch attacked, I am convinced they were both honestly in fear for their lives.

“This attack was not solely limited to police constables, as PD Axle also suffered dreadful injuries as a result of multiple stab wounds, whereby he nearly lost his life.

“While there has been a significant financial cost as a result of Stretch’s violent and unprovoked attack, this pales into insignificance when compared to the mental and physical scars that these officers will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Derbyshire Police have put together a video (below) featuring the proud words of Chief Constable Peter Goodman and an account by PD Axle’s handler, PC Dean Allen, about the night of the attack and the aftermath, and how Axle is now thankfully fit and well.

Derbyshire Police also wrote a post in which they stated that they would:

‘like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who donated gifts and cards to Axle during his recovery, and for all the kind messages we received.’

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. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories & videos which are free from the negative bias which is often directed at the emergency services & NHS by some sections of the mainstream media.

One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' back in 2018 was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services & NHS which seemed only ever to highlight negative aspects of the job.

We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!

As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of you, our readers.

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.

SUPPORT EMERGENCY SERVICES NEWS
Share2Tweet1

Related Posts

Nigerian Politician Charged With Conspiring To Arrange The Travel Of A Child Into The UK To Harvest Organs
Police Service

Nigerian Politician Charged With Conspiring To Arrange The Travel Of A Child Into The UK To Harvest Organs

police high vis jacket
Police Service

Former Humberside Cop Sentenced After Sharing Images From Intelligence Briefing With Member Of The Public Via WhatsApp

police high vis jacket
Police Service

Teenagers Arrested For Attempted Murder Following ‘Targeted Attack’ On Off-Duty PCSO Stabbed After Leaving Police Station

police officer and car
Police Service

52 Motorists To Receive Notice Of Intended Prosecutions For Using Hard Shoulder While Road Was Closed Following Fatal Collision

‘Disgusting’ & ‘Feral’ Attack Leaves Police Officer With Serious Injuries
Police Service

IOPC Ordered To Pay £92,750 Compensation And Apologise To Six Metropolitan Police Officers

Police Dog Handler Cleared Of Gross Misconduct Seven Years After Dog Bite Incidents Following IOPC ‘Witch Hunt’
Police Service

Police Dog Handler Cleared Of Gross Misconduct Seven Years After Dog Bite Incidents Following IOPC ‘Witch Hunt’

Load More

Let us know what you think in the comments below Cancel reply

  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact
© Emergency Services News
No Result
View All Result
  • Police
  • Body-Worn Camera Footage
  • National Crime Agency
  • Police Pursuits
  • Police Dogs In Action
  • Court Results
  • Ambulance
  • Fire Service
  • NHS
  • Assaulted on Duty
  • Must See Videos
  • Guest Blog
  • Hoax Calls
  • Rewards & Discounts
  • About ESN
  • Contact