Drunken man threatened to ‘smash up’ police dog

A DRUNK bin man threatened to attack a police dog before abusing an officer.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard Keaton Harris also said he would “smash” attending officers who were called to an incident in the street.

His hearing was told how the 24-yearold had suffered “a troublesome year” in the lead-up to the offence in May.

But since then he has found employment collecting refuse for his local council and had stayed out of trouble.

Handing him a 12-week jail term, suspended for a year, magistrate Philip Hickson, chair of the bench, said: “This was a serious offence, we heard in court today how you said ‘I will smash all of you and the dog.’

“That is totally unacceptable, the police have got better things to do than deal with people like you.

“You then called one of the officers ‘a f ***** ’ which is homophobic abuse.

“Let me make things absolutely crystal clear, Mr Harris, you are skating on thin ice.”

Teresa Simms, prosecuting, said officers were called to Ferrers Way, in Ripley, on May 15, this year.

She said among them was a police dog unit and when they arrived Harris was in the street drunk and shouting.

Miss Simms said: “He shouted ‘come on then, I will f ****** smash the lot of you, I will smash you all and the dog.’

“He was arrested for a public order offence and as he was called one of the officer ‘a f ***** .’”

Harris, of Outseats Drive, Alfreton, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

He has six previous convictions for seven offences, Miss Simms said.

Pardeep Kalyan, mitigating, said his client lost his agency work when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but has now found a job as a refuse collector.

He said: “He apologises to the court through me. He had a troublesome year, but now has some meaning to his life, he’s working and motivated.”