A British man was sentenced to 18 months in jail last month for siccing his dog on cyclists.

At least two riders were hurt in what the judge called a violent and intentional “campaign” against people on bikes.

The man had been upset with cyclists riding on the sidewalk to get around construction blocking a bike lane.

We’ve seen many cases of harassment and violence toward cyclists, but this one takes the bone: A British man was sentenced to 18 months in jail last month for using his dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Piglet, to intimidate and attack people on bikes.

Alexander Andrews, 47, was reportedly upset with local cyclists riding on the sidewalk to avoid construction blocking a bike lane in the city of Oxford. According to the Oxford Crown Court, his solution was to set Piglet upon cyclists who did not obey signs telling them to dismount. In at least two cases, the dog bit and injured riders, one seriously.

The Oxford Mail reports that the attacks happened in October and November 2017. In both cases, Andrews first confronted the riders by yelling at them to get off their bikes. While arguing with the rider in the first instance, he had Piglet leap up and bite the man, who then rode off.

In the second case, Andrews accosted a woman, Victoria Lackey, as she rode. Lackey later told the court that she was “concerned” about Andrews’s aggressive behavior and continued riding. Then she felt a pain in her leg, and turned to see Piglet with his teeth in her flesh. The dog held on for about another 16 feet before passersby intervened and managed to pry his jaws off.

Lackey testified in court that the attack will leave her scarred. The first victim’s injuries were not as severe, according to court testimony.



Andrews pleaded guilty to two counts of “being the owner of a dog which caused injury to a person while dangerously out of control,” the Oxford Crown Court confirmed. Judge Peter Ross described Andrews’s actions as an intentional and violent “campaign” against cyclists, and serious enough to warrant jail time.

“You were using a dog to intimidate, you were using a dog to threaten,” Ross told Andrews during the hearing. “You were getting angry with cyclists and you were whipping your dog up to behave aggressively. The dog... isn’t of itself necessarily a menace, but in your hands, deployed as a weapon of intimidation, it was.”

Ross sentenced Andrews to two 18-months terms in jail, to be served concurrently. The court also forbade Andrews from ever owning a dog again.

Piglet, meanwhile, will not be put down, but in the future he will have to be muzzled and leashed in public, and go through a rehabilitation program to learn that cyclists are not chew toys.

Jessica Coulon Assistant Digital Editor When she’s not out riding her mountain bike, Jessica reports on news, gear, and all things cycling related for Bicycling.

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