A 'bodybuilder' strangled a dog in the back of a police car and then attacked an officer after it was wrestled from him. Michael
McCormack, 33, was being driven to a family member's house by officers with the animal after allegedly being attacked by his partner. However, his attitude changed and he suddenly became "abusive" and "aggressive", a court heard.
He threatened to sexually assault the animal, one of the officers said, before he throttled it with its lead, causing it to growl as it 'struggled to breathe.' He then became involved in a 'struggle' with the two officers escorting him whilst traveling down a busy dual carriageway, after they had taken the dog away from him for its own safety.
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They were forced to stop the car and use incapacitant spray to restrain him as they called for backup. A warrant has now been issued for his arrest after he failed to attend his trial and was convicted in his absence.
On August 4, 2020, officers had initially been called to an address in Congleton, Cheshire, to reports of a 'domestic assault', Stockport Magistrates Court was told.
McCormack's partner was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, prosecutor James Hudson said.
PC Jackson from Cheshire Police and PC Martyn Stone, who is no longer a police officer, offered to drive McCormack to his sister's address in south Manchester and he brought the dog, whose age and breed was not disclosed in court, into the police car with him. He sat it on the back seat next to him with the two officers in the front.
Giving evidence, PC Jackson said McCormack was initially "meek and mild" and was "very apologetic" about what had happened. However he said as they made their way down the A34 heading towards Didsbury, he "became more and more aggressive" and was "talking nonsense." His words were "indiscernible" and the dog also became "agitated" and was "growling", he said.
As he looked back, PC Jackson, who was in the front passenger seat, said he saw McCormack "dragging the dog about" and "applying pressure to its neck", initially with the lead but then also with his hands.
"He was making the dog suffer somewhat," he said. "It was growling. It was clearly struggling to breathe." PC Jackson said he wrestled the dog from McCormack and put it in the front passenger footwell as a struggle ensued with him.
"He was trying to get into the front of the vehicle," he said. "He made threats. He was much bigger than I was. He was a bodybuilder. I was trying to hold him in his seat but it was a struggle."
Mr Stone, the victim of the assault, said during the journey McCormack "became verbally abusive to the dog he had with him."
He said he was "making comments to the dog that he wanted to sexually assault the dog." He then said he could hear the dog "growling" and acting "as if it was struggling to breathe."
"It seemed in distress," he added.
After the dog was taken from him, McCormack became "very, very aggressive" he said. He said he was "hitting me and pushing me on my shoulder" as he drove the police car near the Gatley crossroads on the A34, close to the junction with the M60.
He said he was forced to stop the car, get out and use his incapacitant spray in order to handcuff him after they had pressed their emergency button and called for help from other patrols.
"I'm not a medical expert but from my experience, it appeared he was under the influence of some kind of drug but I couldn't say what," Mr Stone said.
McCormack, of Woolston Avenue, Congleton, pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and assault of an emergency worker at a previous hearing.
He was not present at court on Thursday morning with a legal representative telling the court before the trial got underway that McCormack had told him he had suffered a prolapse and was in pain, so was unable to attend.
However, magistrates ordered the trial to proceed in his absence after hearing it had already been previously delayed due to a medical issue which he failed to provide evidence for.
As a result, no defence to the charges was offered and he was convicted following a trial in his absence. Chairman of the bench Michael Dunstan said the magistrates had found the police officers to be "credible and consistent" in their accounts as they found him guilty.
A warrant not backed for bail was issued so that he can be brought to court to be sentenced.
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