Dogs to be destroyed after police officers left scarred for life following shock attack

A police constable and community support officer were left with permanent scars when they were attacked by dogs during an arrest.

South Tyneside Magistrates Court heard Haroon Nikkai had been at an address in Sunderland when PC Sawyers and PCSO Carr arrived looking for another person in November 2022.

Liz McGowan, prosecuting, read statements from the two officers which said 27-year-old Nikkai was accompanied by his dogs Blue and Haze, which PC Sawyers described as ‘pit bull-type dogs’ in his statement.

When Nikkai raised his voice the animals became excited: “The dogs started to become aggressive,” said PC Sawyers’ statement.

“Mr Nikkai continued to shout, it was unclear whether he was ordering the dogs to attack us or not.”

The statement said Nikkai had gone to the back gate of the property where he was detained by PCSO Carr: ”I saw him strike PCSO Carr several times in the face.

“At one point, one of the dogs began to bite me. I was bitten on the arm, hand and rear end. I saw that PCSO Carr was being bitten as well.”

PCSO Carr described the dogs as ‘Staffordshire bull terriers’ in his statement and said: “Mr Nikkai begain shouting at the dogs in a foreign language, resulting in one of them biting me four times, twice on my left leg and once on my wrist. Mr Nikkai then proceeded to punched me twice in the face.”

As he exited into the back lane, one of the dogs had followed and bitten him on the buttocks, drawing blood.

Both officers had been left with scarring as a result of the bites.