MAGISTRATES have issued an arrest warrant for a man who caused unnecessary suffering to a police dog at a block of flats in Edgware.
Police are looking for Lukasz Sklepkowski, 29, of no fixed address, after he was found guilty in his absence at Hendon Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The court heard how a police dog Zinzan had to be rushed to the vet after Sklepkowski trapped the dog's neck in a door and slammed it repeatedlyon the animal, while the dog was screaming in pain.
It happened during an incident on October 13 in which several police officers, including dog handler PC Revill and his dog Zinzan, were in the area of Symphony Close on an unrelated matter but were alerted by a member of the public that a man was hiding in a nearby bush.
When police approached, Sklepkowski made off for the entrance to a propery at Viola Court in Symphony Close.
Sklepkowski was commanded several times to stop by officers and was warned that the dog would be released if he failed to comply but he ignored the instruction.
PC Revill therefore released Zinzan, which reached the building just after Sklepkowski entered the flat and it was just as Zinzan was running through the same door that the defendant caused the injury.
Police managed to free the dog and Sklepkowski closed the door with such force that it tore off one of the officer's shoes in the process.
Zinzan was rushed to the vet for medical treatment and the flat surrounded. Sklepkowski finally gave himself up to police and was arrested.
PC Revill said: "Thankfully Zinzan is now fully fit again. He had severe bruising to his head and neck and was on the strongest painkillers available while he recovered.
"He was reluctant to leave me for the first week, but we gave him a week of light training to ease him back to work and he has now returned to full duties.
"Zinzan is one of only seven police dogs that are trained to abseil in firearms situations; he is a pretty chilled out dog."
