A violent dog owner from Harlesden who assaulted three police officers and ordered his Pit ball to attack them to avoid arrest has been jailed.

Calvin Folks, 53, of Harlesden Road, hurled abuse at the officers while he kicked and punched them after they turned up at his house to arrest him on suspicion of assault.

Willesden Magistrates’ Court heard the dog tried to bite the officers but they managed to push him away and escape injury during the attack on January 25 this year.

Folks were arrested after officers from the dog unit came to his flat and seized his pet.

He was convicted of three counts of assault on police and being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and jailed for two months.

Detective Constable Panda Patel of Brent Police said: “This incident serves to highlight the dangers that officers face every time they put on their uniform. They put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect the communities we serve.

“Assaulting an officer is unacceptable and we will actively target offenders on the borough and will arrest and bring to justice that intent on breaking the law in Brent.”

The dog will be destroyed.