A tool thief in the Midlands found himself clambering onto a car bonnet after a police dog latched onto his foot. Burglar John Foster, 38, had an unexpected meeting with PD Max as he and another man targeted a house that was under renovation.
Incident Details
Police were called just after midnight after the pair had been spotted coming and going from the property in Bailey Grove Road, Eastwood, on January 28, 2024. A police dog handler arrived at the scene and saw Foster walking away from the garage. PD Max, one of Nottinghamshire Police's biggest dogs, was deployed after Foster failed to follow instructions to stop.
Foster was then found clambering on a car bonnet a short distance away with the dog locked onto his foot. Multiple tools were found lined up by the side of the house, along with an open garage door and a discarded crowbar.
Court Outcome
The 38-year-old, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, who has previous convictions for theft and handling stolen goods, later claimed he had been using the Portaloo in the front garden after being caught short. However, he later admitted his role in the burglary and pleaded guilty in March this year. He was jailed for 11 months following a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on April 30.
PC Billy Askey, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Foster and his accomplice travelled to the scene with a clear intent to steal and would certainly have made off with a large quantity of tools had they not been disturbed by an unplanned meeting with one of our most formidable police dogs. Thanks to Max and his handler, Foster was detained at the scene and was left with little choice but to plead guilty.”
