A 62-year-old man who was previously given a suspended sentence for pursuing a woman for a debt owed to him by her partner has been fined after his dog attacked a police officer.

Nigel Smith, 62, of Needham Market, was representing himself in Ipswich Crown Court on January 8.

He was previously given 14 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months following a five-month campaign of harassment for debt, where he turned up at the woman’s home with two hammers.

He stood before the court for breaching the suspended sentence after an off-duty police officer had been jogging past his house and said one of the Smith’s dogs suddenly chased him and bit him.

The court heard from prosecutor Nicola May that on May 24 2023 police officer George Harvey was off duty and jogging along Hill House Lane and a dog had come out of a garden and run after him.

It then bit him on the left thigh and chased him as he slipped and fell on gravel.

The bite left scarring on Mr Harvey‘s leg and he later had to get an antibiotics prescription.

The court heard the dog ran back to Smith’s garden and the defendant came out and introduced himself to Mr Harvey.

It was said Smith swore at Mr Harvey as he said he found Mr Harvey had been “very rude and aggressive” after being bitten.

Police then came to Smith’s house where they found "six or seven dogs" and spoke to him about the incident.

Smith pleaded guilty in a magistrates court to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.

For being an owner of a dog dangerously out of control Judge David Wilson fined Smith £100.

He ordered £1,000 of compensation to Mr Harvey and a further £100 fine was imposed for breaching the suspended sentence.

He did not give a destruction order because it was not clear which dog it was and said Mr Smith had shown longstanding care of his dogs.