Sacked PSNI officer guilty of ‘brutal’ dog attacks avoids jail

With disgraced former officer John Fleming standing in the dock of Coleraine Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Ballymena, District Judge Peter King told the defendant his guilty plea saved him from a prison sentence.

Describing how his offences were so serious that the custody threshold is “well and truly passed”, the judge warned Fleming that his 200 hours of community service was being imposed as a “direct alternative” to a three-month prison sentence, making clear that if he breached it “you will be brought back here and re-sentenced”.

“This was a narrow decision as to whether you went to custody or not,” said DJ King, who banned Fleming from keeping any animal for 10 years and ordered him to pay £2,000 towards the £12,000 the case cost.

Earlier this year Fleming, whose address was given as c/o Edwards & Co solicitors on Hill Street in Belfast, entered guilty pleas to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to his dogs Ko and Alfie.

The offences arose following an incident on the Craigbrack Road, Eglington on January 30 last year which was captured on the dash cam of a concerned member of the public who happened across the incident on the quiet country road.

Opening the facts of the case, prosecuting counsel outlined how the witness saw that Fleming’s Alsatian cross dog Ko had “grabbed a springer spaniel by the back and was shaking it.”

Having kicked Ko until he let go, the Alsatian “cowered before him” but Fleming then bent down, picked it up by its head and slammed the dog “hard onto the ground.”

The lawyer said it was at this stage the witness turned on his jeep’s ignition and recorded the rest of the incident on dash cam during which Fleming is seen “continuing to kick at the Alsatian a number of times before the animal gets up and runs back onto the road.“

With the video played in open court Fleming, wearing a yellow high vis jacket, can be seen swinging five full force kicks at Ko with at least three of them connecting with the animal which runs away.

Striding a short distance down the road after Ko, Fleming seemingly picks up Alfie the staffie by its scruff and hindquarters, raising him above head height before slamming the animal into tarmac.

The video records Fleming doing the exact same thing again.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin revealed that just two days ago, Fleming had been dismissed from the PSNI “as a result of these proceedings” so not only had he suffered the ignominy of finding himself in the dock but he has also lost “what was a very promising career.”

Imposing the CSO and the ten year banning order, the judge allowed Fleming six months to pay back the £2,000 costs order.