EVENING STANDARD (London, UK) 04 December 06 Policeman's boa war - officer relives angry clash with snake collector
A policeman told how two huge snakes were brandished at him during a dispute with an enraged animal collector.
PC Christopher Moore had been confronted by 40 reptile tanks stacked high and crawling with 108 snakes – alongside rats and lizards – after entering the garage at Paul Dunn's home.
Dunn grabbed the 6ft rainbow boa constrictors from a tank and threatened to throw them at PC Moore, who then fled the garage, Manchester Crown Court heard.
PC Moore, along with two police community support officers, had come armed with a warrant on April 12 to take away noisy dogs Dunn, 52, kept at his home in Stockport.
Dunn became "extremely angry" telling his lodger to "get me the axe," the court heard.
After "some persuasion" his bull mastiff and his 16-year-old blind and deaf border collie were seized.
Then the officers decided to search the rest of his premises – including the garage.
With PC Moore and the two support officers peering into the tanks, the defendant began to walk around the garage – opening the cases.
"He kept opening the glass cabinets," PC Moore said. "I did not know what these snakes were, if they were poisonous. There were all sorts of snakes – he was taking them out, putting them back in."
PC Moore then decided to call in the RSPCA – and Dunn grabbed two snakes, telling the officer: "You have got the dogs, you can have my f****** snakes, have the f****** lot!"
The officer told the court: "He opened the glass door and took out two very large snakes.
"They were quite heavy, must have been 6ft long. He gave me the impression he was going to give them to me.
" I feared he was going to open further glass cabinets and let all of the snakes out. And lizards and rats. That's the mood he was in."
The officers ran out of the garage, trying to block the door but Dunn managed to fight his way out.
A violent struggle followed with the defendant lashing out at PC Moore and a support officer, before the officers could arrest him.
The jury was shown Exhibit One – a photo of one of the yellow-andbrown rainbow boas.
Richard English, defending Dunn, suggested the officer was "terrified" of the reptiles and had "over-reacted on seeing the snakes."
PC Moore denied being terrified of snakes.
"I held one in Hong Kong 15 years ago," he said, "But I'm more of a dog lover. A snake is not something the police deal with day in day out. I'm not a world expert on snakes. I'm not David Attenborough."
Dunn denies assault and affray. The trial continues.
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