Shortly after midnight on Friday 9 October 2009, Luke Appleyard, a student at the University of London, was walking with a friend through Carshalton Park.
The park was dark and quiet.
Suddenly, an Alsatian dog appeared, running quickly towards them. Without warning, the dog jumped up and bit Luke on his right forearm, which he had instinctively raised to protect his face.
The dog hung on for what Luke estimates was three minutes before Metropolitan Police officers arrived and removed it.
Luke’s arm was bleeding heavily but the police insisted on searching him before allowing him medical help.
He was later told that the dog had been set on him as a result of mistaken identity, and that the police were searching for two robbery suspects.
Luke was taken by ambulance to hospital where his bite wounds were treated.
He was left with about 20 scars on his right arm.
In response to Luke’s claim, the Metropolitan Police denied liability, saying that the police dog handler acted within the police’s guidelines when deploying the dog. Further, that Luke had been running away, that the officer shouted a warning before releasing the dog and that the force used was reasonable and necessary.
On 11 December 2014, at the conclusion of a three day trial at the Central London Civil Justice Centre, the jury returned a verdict indicating that they did not believe the Metropolitan Police Officer’s account. They did not believe that Luke and his friend were running away, or that the decision to release the dog was necessary or reasonable and Luke was awarded £13,250 in damages and his legal costs.
Also read:
Why must court proceedings be issued in a compensation claim against the Police?
Suing the Police Results in £13,250 Payment to Defenceless Student
