Man jailed over dog theft hammer attack on woman

Julian Mead had earlier fallen out with the victim, police said

A man has been jailed after he launched a hammer attack on a woman and stole her English bulldog.

Wearing a balaclava, Julian Mead repeatedly struck her with the weapon on her driveway in Bells Lane, Aspley, Nottingham, at about 21:30 BST on 1 October 2024, police said.

Mead, 41, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and burglary following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in April.

On Thursday, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with another five years on extended licence on release.

English bulldog Winnie was taken during the attack and has never been found

Officers said the woman was struck on the head with the weapon and suffered repeated blows to the body after she fell to the floor.

Her partner intervened after she crawled across the road to escape.

The attack caused a punctured lung, broken shoulder blade, fractured hand, broken ribs and teeth, and required stitches for numerous head wounds.

Police said at some point during the incident, the victim's English bulldog, called Winnie, was stolen from the home and had never been traced.

In what was believed to be a legal first, Mead was originally charged with the new offence of "dognapping", but this was later changed to burglary.

Tracing Winnie

Mead, of Welstead Avenue, Aspley, was identified as the attacker and arrested a short time later, police said.

Investigations revealed he was known to the victim due to a previous disagreement.

He had denied the charges and was found not guilty of attempted murder.

Det Sgt Paul Crofts, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This was an isolated but extremely violent attack on a woman as she left her home.

"It appears Mead had a previous grievance against the victim and chose to turn up outside her home armed with a dangerous weapon, attack her and steal her pet dog.

"The victim was left with some very nasty injuries, and given the ferocity of the blows, the outcome could have been even more serious.

"Despite attempts to trace Winnie, she has not been recovered, so I'd urge anyone with information about her whereabouts to get in touch without delay."