A Colchester man who was accused of having a dangerously out of control dog after it allegedly bit a police officer has been found not guilty by a jury.

Jake Thorpe had claimed he was forced to let go of the dog’s lead when police officers forced him face down on the ground.

Giving evidence during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court Thorpe said he had been on his way to a pharmacy in Cavalry Road, Colchester, and had seen two men he knew.

He claimed that as he greeted the men he was grabbed round the neck by a police officer who told him he was suspected of “doing drugs.”

Thorpe said he had “kicked off” because he was being accused of something he hadn’t done.

He claimed he was taken face down in to the ground with his arm behind his back resulting in him letting go of his dog’s lead.

“I couldn’t control him if they (the police) pull the lead out of my hand,” said Thorpe.

He said he had been subsequently allowed to go on his way by police and it was some time later he was told his dog had bitten a police officer.

Thorpe, 46, of Attlee Gardens, Colchester, denied being the owner of a dog which caused injury to a police officer while it was dangerously out of control and was cleared after a three-day trial.

He was not in court for the verdict after being excluded because of his demeanour.

The court heard that police received information regarding suspected drug dealing on Butt Road in Colchester on October 14, 2019.

Three plain clothes officers followed two men to Cavalry Road, Colchester, and saw them talking to Thorpe near a pharmacy.

Thorpe's dog, called “Scampi”, was present at the scene, and the three men were stopped for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Thorpe was obstructive and tried to walk away and as Sgt. Tom Caton tried to detain him he was allegedly bitten on the leg by Thorpe’s dog, causing what was described as a “minor” injury.

The court heard that Sgt. Caton tried to shake off the dog while a colleague was forced to kick it before the dog was brought under control.