A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder and so-called ‘dognapping’ after a woman suffered serious injuries in an attack and a dog was stolen.
Julian Mead, 40, of Aspley, Nottingham, is believed to be the first person in the UK charged with the offence of taking a dog since a new law, the Pet Abduction Act (2024), came into force in August.
Emergency services were called to Bells Lane, Cinderhill, shortly before 9.30pm on Tuesday 1 October, Nottinghamshire Police said.
The victim, a woman in her 40s, was found in a street with serious but not life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.
A dog was reported stolen from a nearby property following the assault.
Mead was charged with attempted murder, making a threat with an offensive weapon in a public place and taking a dog so as to keep it from the person with lawful control at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Detective Inspector Julian Eminson-Ferry, of Nottinghamshire Police, called it a “very serious assault” and said he was “pleased we have now been able to charge a suspect”.
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The dog has not been found, he added, as he asked anyone with information “to please come forward”.
Mead was remanded into custody and is due back in court next month.
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There are 13.5 million dogs in the UK, with 28% of adults owning at least one dog, the owner-run Dogster website said.
They are the most commonly stolen pets, with 2,290 taken in the UK in 2023, a rise of 6% compared to 2022, it added.
To prevent theft, the RSPCA recommends getting dogs microchipped, which is now a legal requirement, and putting a collar and tag on your pet.
