CONVICTED (2022) | career criminal Alexandru Chifor, born c. 1991, from Primrose Field, Harlow CM18 61U – punched a police dog repeatedly while holding her head underwater.
Romanian national Chifor attacked the dog after she repeatedly bit him when he refused to stop for police after they were called to a break-in in Rochford on July 2022.
Chifor and his co defendant Nelutu Stanga, from Wokingham, Berkshire, were sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on 1 September 2022.
Prosecuting, Paul Valder, said: “On July 3 at about 7.10pm the business owner was alerted to the break in and that intruders were on the site.
“They were caught on CCTV breaking into the business, they cut a fence post and the damage caused was worth about £1,000. Two catalytic converters were stolen which are worth about £1,000.
“The dog bit him a few times and Chifor was seen deliberately holding the dog’s head underwater. He then struck the dog twice to his head, punching it in a stabbing motion.”
The court heard Chifor was in breach of a suspended sentence which was handed to him by the courts following a burglary at a home and a driving offence.
Mitigating for Chefor Colin Pope said he has a wife and child and works as a painter.
Stanga, who was unrepresented, told the court he was sorry via an interpreter.
Both admitted theft, going equipped for theft and criminal damage to property valued under £5,000. Chifor also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and Stanga admitted possession of a bladed article.
Chifor was jailed for eight months after being sentenced to six months for each of the three counts, to be served concurrently, and two months for breaching his suspended sentence. Stanga was handed a community order and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.