Man who ran over dog and drove into owner jailed

A man who ran over a dog before driving into its owner has been jailed.

After fatally striking the pet in Knutton, Staffordshire, on 14 September 2022, Uangasane Hange got into a fight with the male owner near Cherry Hill Lane.

During the confrontation, Hange, 28, got back into his vehicle and drove into his victim, who hit the windscreen and fell to the ground, although he was not seriously injured, Staffordshire Police said.

Hange, of Shelton Old Road, Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for two years and eight months on Thursday after he admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving, at earlier hearings.

He was also disqualified from driving for six years and four months and told he would have to take an extended retest after serving his sentence.

Thursday's hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told Hange accepted his actions were dangerous, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.

He did not run over the dog deliberately, the court was told, and a witness reported the animal's owner was racially abusive towards Hange.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said the defendant's actions were "spontaneous" and there was a "degree of panic".

Judge Richard McConaghy said Hange showed no sympathy or understanding for the man after killing his dog, though he described the racist abuse he suffered as "unacceptable".

Following the hearing, Det Con Mia Joyce said Hange confessed he "used his car as a weapon" when he was interviewed in custody.

"Hange showed no remorse before he launched an attack on his victim, who thankfully was not seriously injured," she added.

Update 18 February: This article has been amended to include more details from the hearing including that it was heard Hange did not run over the dog deliberately, his actions were "spontaneous" and there was a "degree of panic". It has also been updated to include that a witness told the court the animal's owner was racially abusive to Hange and to include the judge's remarks that Hange showed "no sympathy" but that the racial abuse he was subjected to was unacceptable.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.