A man 'high on monkey dust' has been jailed for stabbing a dog in the head as part of a rampage in which he also kicked a police officer in the face.

Daniel O'Sullivan spat at officers called to deal with him as he stood in a street wielding a broken bottle and a knife.

His case is a landmark prosecution under a new law that recognises police dogs as public servants.

Police were called to deal with O'Sullivan, who is from Litherland , following reports of a man with a knife in a street in Hanley, near Stoke, on July 1, 2019.

When he refused to drop the weapons a police dog called Audi was sent into the incident.

Audi was stabbed twice in the head and needed emergency treatment, but survived the attack.

O'Sullivan, 29 and of Bowland Drive, then threw a bottle at an officer, who he kicked in the face and spat at four officers.

Following his arrest he was taken to hospital for assessment and was aggressive towards medical staff.

O'Sullivan today admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal when he appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of assault and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

Jailed for 21 months, three months of his sentence was for injuring a police dog.

The prosecution for the attack against Audi is the first under the new Animal Welfare (Emergency Services) Act.

Known as Finn's Law, it now recognises police dogs as public servants and not simply police property. The maximum sentence is currently six months.

Detective Inspector Stephen Ward, from Staffordshire Police, said: “O'Sullivan presented a significant danger to anyone who was nearby and we cannot allow the public to be put at risk.

"He assaulted five officers, spitting at four of them, which is a degrading experience for the officers concerned and can present a health risk.

“O'Sullivan was out to seriously hurt PD Audi and it was lucky that he wasn't blinded or killed as a result of his injuries.

"Aside from the sheer cruelty of his actions, it takes a great deal of time, energy and expense to train a police dog and an experience like that could have ended his career. Fortunately, Audi has recovered well and is back at work.”