Northampton man jailed for assaulting woman, damaging homes and attempting to strangle police dog
A Northampton man has been jailed after her went on a crime spree, which included assaulting a woman, damaging homes, attempting to strangle a police dog and more.
Alexander Scott-Mills formerly of Grange Park, Northampton, but now of Aumale Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing on August 1, after he pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to a crime spree in Northamptonshire and another four offences following an incident in Yorkshire.
In the early hours of June 2, 2024, an off-duty police dog handler was woken by a neighbour concerned about a disturbance at a home in Brixworth.
PC Poole put on his uniform and fetched Police Dog Fama from her kennel, before heading to the scene, where they found an injured Scott-Mills hiding behind a caravan on a driveway.
When the 34-year-old failed to follow PC Poole’s instruction to stop, PD Fama gave chase and caught him, only for Scott-Mills to begin fighting the dog before putting her in a choke hold.
PC Poole was able to get Scott-Mills to release the German Shepherd before she was seriously injured. She was checked over and she thankfully suffered no lasting harm. Scott-Mills tried to run off again but he was detained until further officers arrived and arrested him for multiple offences.
He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance, and four counts of criminal damage.
On May 31 this year, Scott-Mills was involved in another incident in Brompton, North Yorkshire, which resulted in him being charged with two further ABH level assaults, a second count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a wrench.
Sergeant Mark Wilson from Northamptonshire Police said: “Following his assault against a woman, Alexander Scott-Mills caused significant concern to Brixworth residents as well as a lot of damage.
“Once woken by his neighbour and alerted to what was happening, PC Poole didn’t hesitate to put himself and PD Fama on duty, showing his full commitment to protecting the public and no doubt preventing further distress and damage that night.
“Investigating officer PC Emma Melville then worked really hard to pull together a significant amount of evidence, showing excellent attention to detail to secure multiple charges against Scott-Mills, and ultimately resulting in a custodial sentence for him.
“Both officers showed the best of Northamptonshire Police in protecting the public and bringing Scott-Mills to justice.”
PC Poole added: “I’m so relieved that PD Fama wasn’t seriously hurt that night.
“Despite the extreme violence Alexander Scott-Mills did to her, she remained completely focused on her job, making sure he had no option but to stay put and be placed under arrest.
“PD Fama isn’t just my policing colleague, she’s my friend, and I’m so proud of her courage and resilience. Thanks to her, we contained a volatile situation and prevented further offending.
“I’m pleased Scott-Mills admitted his guilt and hope he takes some time to reflect on the harm he’s caused in order to make better decisions in future.”
Scott-Mills was sentenced to 12 months in prison.