CONVICTED (2019) | Daniel O’Sullivan, born c. 1990, of Bowland Drive, Liverpool L21: stabbed a police dog twice in head and attacked officers while high on cocaine and monkey dust.

Daniel O’Sullivan was jailed for 21 months after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, five counts of assault and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

Police were called to deal with the thug following reports of a man wielding a knife and broken bottle in a street in Hanley, near Stoke, on July 1, 2019.

When O’Sullivan refused to drop the weapons a police dog named Audi was sent into the incident.

O’Sullivan stabbed PD Audi twice in the head before throwing a bottle at an officer and kicking him in the face. He spat at four other officers.

Following his arrest O’Sullivan was taken to hospital for assessment and was aggressive towards medical staff.

Audi needed emergency treatment but survived the attack and has since returned to duty.

The prosecution for the attack against Audi is the first under the new Animal Welfare (Emergency Services) Act.

Known as Finn’s Law, it now recognises police dogs as public servants and not simply police property. The maximum sentence is currently six months.

Detective Inspector Stephen Ward, from Staffordshire Police, said: “O’Sullivan presented a significant danger to anyone who was nearby and we cannot allow the public to be put at risk.

“He assaulted five officers, spitting at four of them, which is a degrading experience for the officers concerned and can present a health risk.

“O’Sullivan was out to seriously hurt PD Audi and it was lucky that he wasn’t blinded or killed as a result of his injuries.

“Aside from the sheer cruelty of his actions, it takes a great deal of time, energy and expense to train a police dog and an experience like that could have ended his career. Fortunately, Audi has recovered well and is back at work.”

Sentencing | jailed for 21 months of which three months was for injuring PD Audi.

Liverpool Echo