A man who set his dog on two Muslims during a ‘campaign of racism’ has been caged.

Jakub Wendland’s cross breed bull terrier bit a man and left a woman traumatised.

During one of the attacks, the 32-year-old shouted: “You bite her, bite her. They kill people. So go on, bite a Muslim.”

The Polish national, who denies being a racist, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Manchester Crown Court .

Prosecuting, Christopher Beckwith told the court Bakhtshireen Rehman was bitten by the dog on Stockport Road in Longsight on his way home from a mosque at around 10am on June 25.

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The court heard Mr Rehman saw Wendland at a bus stop holding a bottle of beer with the dog on a lead.

Wendland asked Mr Rehman if he would open the bottle for him. When he refused, Wendland became aggressive and called the victim a ‘Muslim Kurdi’.

Mr Rehman, 26, who is Pakistani British, tried to walk away, but Wendland set the animal on him. He was bitten several times before being punched by Wendland.

Mr Rehman ran into the road and flagged down a motorist for help as he desperately tried to fight the dog off.

Wendland ran off and got on a bus into Manchester city centre , where he targeted his next victim two hours later.

Sundus Mirza, 28, was on her way to work on Market Street at around 12.50pm.

The court heard Ms Mirza, who has a fear of dogs, decided to give Wendland and his pet a ‘wide berth’.

Wendland followed Ms Mirza, who said she could feel the dog’s head near her legs.

Wendland said to his dog: “Go on, bite her, bite her. They kill people, bite her.”

Ms Mirza started screaming before passers-by rushed to help her. Wendland then walked away.

Police were called and Wendland was later found in the city centre in an ‘intoxicated state’.

While being arrested he spat at two officers and threatened to kill them and their families.

Mr Rehman, who suffered bruising to his arm, said he was afraid to go outside.

In a statement read to the court, he said: “It has influenced the way I see the world, and it makes me feel there is a lot of racial hatred out there.”

Ms Merza said she was ‘petrified’ when Wendland followed her.

“The fact that this man tried to get his dog to bite me simply because I am a Muslim is outrageous,” her statement read.

Defending, Simon Blakebrough said Wendland wanted to apologise to his victims and said he had no recollection of the events.

Mr Blakebrough Wendland had consumed alcohol for the first time in six months the day before and decided to drink more in a bid to ease his hangover.

He said: “He does not consider himself as a racist. He said to me he has never been racist to anyone and can’t believe he behaved in this way.”

Wendland, who has worked as a fork lift truck driver, has been in the UK for four years. He said the dog was his ‘best friend’.

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Judge Tony Cross QC said: “You are, in my judgement, quite clearly a racist.

“These were racist attacks, of that there is absolutely no doubt.

“This was a campaign of racism carried out over the course of two hours in two separate areas.”

Judge Cross also imposed a contingent destruction order, which means the dog will not be put down if suitable accommodation and care is found.

Wendland, of Wray Place, Rochdale , was banned from possessing a dog indefinitely having previously pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated public order offences, one count of common assault and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

Kirsty Walls, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Jakub Wendland used his dog as a weapon as he carried out a series of unprovoked attacks in a busy city centre upon people he considered to be Muslims.

“He was heard repeatedly telling the dog to bite Muslims as they kill people. One person was injured, whilst another was placed in tremendous fear of being attacked by the dog.

“He then assaulted police officers by spitting at them as they arrested him.

“The CPS takes all forms of hate crime very seriously, and presented the case to the court as a religious hate crime.

“The judge concluded that the defendant and the offences he committed were racist and sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment.”