A MAN punched and kicked a police dog in an attempt to avoid capture.

Appearing at St Helens Magistrates Court, Philip Guy, 21, denied a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a German shepherd called Tex, in Newton-le-Willows, in February.

PC Paul Hughes, a dog handler with Merseyside Police, was investigating reports of a burglary.

The search led to an enclosed area near Viaduct Street.

PC Hughes said: “I shouted at the top of my voice that I was a police officer with a dog and told them to present themselves. I said that if they were injured, they must shout out, so I gave a period of around 20 seconds.

“There was no response, so I said that I was releasing the dog.”

Tex tracked Guy down to where he was hiding behind a row of bins and started barking.

“I shouted at Guy to stand still because in past experience some people can start to panic,” added PC Hughes.

“I saw the defendant lying on his side covered in bin bags. He then raised his arms and pushed the dog.

“He then raised his leg and kicked the dog in the head.

“The dog then bit him on his left arm.

“He tried to push himself up and with a clenched fist hit the dog on the nose, shouting ‘get him off me’”.

Guy, who is currently in custody to be sentenced for unrelated matters, denied the offence, claiming that PC Hughes gave no warning and the dog had attacked him without provocation.

District Judge Ian Lomax found Guy guilty of attacking the dog and fined him £200.

However, as he was in custody and was unable to pay any fine, he was given an extra seven days.