(Cutting Shropshire Star feb 26th 2003) by William Baldwin)
TOP COP TEAM PRAISED
Forget
Cagney and Lacey, or Starsky and Hutch - meet the Shropshire police
officer and his canine companion who make up one of the county's top
crimebusting partnerships.
Shrewsbury-based Kevin Pullen and his German shepherd dog Rigby have
yet again won the praise of the courts for their skills in bringing
criminals to justice. Crooks across the county are now behind bars,
thanks to the doggy detective's incredible sniffing ability Rigby and
Constable Pullen have proved such an effective anti-crime force that
they were recently named West Marcia Police Dog Handler Team of the
Year.
Constable Pullen, who joined West Marcia Constabulary in 1991, and his
trusty canine sidekick won high praise from Police chiefs at the award
ceremony
Inspector Tony Fisher, head of the dog force section at W Marcia Police comended the pair for their hard work.
He said: "Kevin Pullan has combined all his skills and determination as a police offi er with his new as a Police dog andler
RAIDER SNIFFED OUT BY TOP POLICE DOG
Shropshire's
police dog of the year was hailed a hero today after he used his
amazing tracking skills to catch one of a gang of burglars who had
ripped the safe from the wall of a Shrewsbury post office.
Canine crimebuster Rigby sniffed his way along a trail for 283 metres
to nab John Barnett who was hiding underneath a blanket in a van.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard it was the latest example of Rigby's 1
dogged determination. Rigby was voted West Mercia's Police Dog of the
Year for 2002.
Barnett,
25, of Tweedale Wharf, Madeley, Telford, was found guilty at
Shrews-bury Crown Court of burglary at Porthill Post Office, on January
17, last year~ Barnett, who had denied the charge, will be sentenced on
March 18, after a pre-sentence report is completed.
Key
to the prosecution case was the work of prize. winning German shepherd
Righy, the court heard. Rigby's handler Constable Kevin Pullen told the
court that they followed a strong scent from the post office to a white
van, 283 metres away, where Barnett was hidden beneath a blanket.
Reliable
"He's a very reliable dog," Mr Pullen said. "He's caught a lot of
prisoners and got me quite a few results I didn't think were possible.
"There was no doubt -someone had been there very recently and I had ajob holding him back."
The
court heard how sub-postmistress Jill Jones found stock moved, shelves
removed from the wall, the door frame split and the safe ripped from
the wall in a burglary carried out by a gang of raiders. She said
ajack, trolley and crow bar had been left behind in the post office and
little had been taken
Gareth Walters, for Barnett, told the jury the defendant had not known
about the plan to break into the post office and not left the -van all
night.
"He was just doing a favour for a friend, he didn't know what the other men were doing," Mr Waters said.
"He may be guilty of being an idiot but he's not guilty of this charge."
Janet
Pitt-Lewis, prosecuting, told the jury that after he was arrested
Barnett refused to talk to police. It was unbelievable he did not know
about the raid. //cutting ends
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