St Osyth Boat Yard incident involved dog attack, court heard

Matthew Lance, 35, who was living on a boat at St Osyth Boat Yard, was jailed for 21 months after admitting a charge of affray at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The “prolonged” incident happened after police arrived at the boat to arrest Lance at 8pm on April 29 last year in relation to another matter that has since been dropped.

But during the course of the arrest, Lance barricaded himself on the boat, threatened police with knives, threatened to kill himself with a Stanley blade and to set himself on fire.

Police withdrew from the scene and once an armed response unit gained entry to the boat, Lance commanded his large Cane Corso type dog to attack the arresting officer.

In a witness statement, the officer said his arm “would have been ripped to pieces” if not for the protective jacket he was wearing.

Joanne Eley, prosecuting, said: “Mr Lance said he was not leaving the boat and he had guard dogs trained to guard.

“He picked up a small jerry can and threatened to burn himself and gestured he was going to cut his wrists.

“He ran inside the boat, locked the doors and shut himself in.

“Police officers could see him inside with a meat cleaver and a machete.

“He came to the window in an angry state, screaming and shouting and gave police the impression that he was under the influence of drugs.

“Police described him as being manic.

“He shouted that the only way he would come out of the boat was as a dead man – and would cut anyone who came in.” Police were ordered off the scene until armed response officers arrived and gained entry to the boat.

The court heard there was a struggle after officers persuaded Lance not to harm himself with a Stanley blade.

As the officer handcuffed Lance, the defendant commanded his dog to attack him.

“The officer described a large brown dog biting his right arm two or three times before latching on to his forearm and shaking its head violently,” added Miss Eley.

The sound of a taser caused the dog to let go and run away.

“The taser was never aimed at the dog,” Miss Eley added.

“The officer felt immense pain and knew he had been hurt, but continued to struggle with Mr Lance and successfully handcuffed him.”

The court heard Matthew Lance “lost his temper” when police arrived to arrest him at his houseboat in St Osyth.

Miss Milroy, mitigating, said: “Mr Lance was very upset to hear that he was going to be accused of an offence,” she said.

“His mother was gravely ill with bowel cancer and that had sent him into a period of turmoil. He had not taken his medication.

“Unfortunately, when officers attended he did not react in a way, which he now accepts, he should have and he completely overreacted.”

The court heard Lance has 13 previous convictions for 18 offences, including wounding and possession of a dangerous dog.

Sentencing Lance to 21 months imprisonment, Judge Timothy Walker said: “The use of a dog as a weapon to attack police officers is a particularly serious aggravating factor in this offence.

“You commanded it to attack a police officer, which it did.

“The officers suffered some injury, although not serious injury, thankfully.

“He is of the view that, but for the chainsaw protective jacket that he wore, the dog would have ripped his arm to pieces.”

“This was an extremely powerful dog, trained and used both to guard and attack.

“I’m sure you intended that it would cause serious injury when you commanded it to attack.”