Ian Bradley was walking with a friend in the early hours when he was caught short.
The medication he was on due to a heart condition included water tablets and he needed to urinate.
He did so in the seclusion of a cemetery near Sunnybrow Park in Gorton, Manchester.
The decision would have consequences for the rest of his life.
Moments later a dog’s teeth were ‘ripping’ into his leg, he would later recall.
He had thought it was pit bull type loose in the area.
But he then realised it was a German Shepherd and it had a handler, with a torch – a police officer.
Ian suffered multiple injuries in the attack at 3am on August 31, 2016, and spent two months in hospital.
His family say he never walked again unaided.
Last year Ian died from gangrene, aged 59, four years after the incident.
His brother says after being ‘viciously’ mauled by the dog Ian’s health deteriorated.
At the time he made a formal complaint to GMP on Ian’s behalf which was referred to the then Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The upshot was that no grounds for misconduct were found regarding the dog handler, who was given ‘management advice’ by the force.
Ian, who lived in Haworth Road, less than half a mile from the scene of the attack was gay and at the time alleged the officer had been homophobic towards him.
His twin brother, Mark, said: “He was taking a short cut in the early hours. He stopped for a wee as he had a medical condition. At that point he was viciously attacked by a police dog. Apparently there had been a burglary in the area and a police dog had been deployed but mistakenly picking up my brother’s scent.
“The dog handler refused to call his dog off, calling by brother ‘a dirty b…..d’. He had seen my brother and his friend and put two and two together coming up with six.
“A year after the officer wrote a statement claiming my brother was committing an act of indecency, yet bite marks to his legs and clothing prove he was fully clothed. Despite this allegation being a criminal offence no arrest or caution was given. My brother vigorously refuted the allegation.”
Due to Ian’s heart condition it was considered too risky to carry out surgery on the bite injuries, which took many months to heal.
The family member said: “I am not a doctor and Ian had medical issues. Ian’s body was riddled with gangrene which I believe may have developed over a number of years. But the attack definitely changed his life and his ability to walk again.
“I fully accept this was a case of complete mistaken identity. The police dog picked up the wrong scent, but what followed was an assault which in any other circumstances would have ended up in court.
“I would love the chance to question the officer in a court of law. Ian walked into a park on a public footpath, and through no fault of his own never walked unaided again.
“I’m not looking for anything more than an apology. Compensation will not help him now.
“If a member of the public allowed their dog, let alone instructed their dog to cause such injuries they would find themselves in court.
“Ian never walked again unaided. He used a stick and also a walking frame which can be seen in a photo of him. In his last four months he was in a wheel chair. It was basically down to very bad circulation. His legs never returned to their natural colour after the attack.”
A Manchester Evening News reporter interviewed Ian in his hospital bed about two weeks after the attack.
At the time Ian asked to remain anonymous, but said: “All I can remember is this dog running towards me.
“At first I thought it was a pit bull but as it bit into my leg I realised it was a German Shepherd type.
“An officer appeared and he had a torch or a camera with a light that he was shining on the dog. That’s how I could see its teeth ripping into my leg
“The handler pulled the dog off and when he saw my friend he thought we were up to no good. He said ‘You dirty b*****d’.
“He set the dog onto me again. He didn’t do anything to stop. It was like he was taking pleasure in seeing me attacked.
“I’d say the attack lasted for about three minutes, which trust me, is a long time when you’re being bitten by a dog.”
Ian said the dog handler was joined by at least two other police officers around five minutes later, who then called an ambulance.
He added:“I keep having flashbacks. I’ll never be able to go near a police dog again.”
Ian was born and bred in Manchester. His twin brother said: “He was a very flamboyant character to put it lightly. Everyone who knew him loved him. Ian was a party animal and did, if I am totally honest, get involved in drugs, but they were drugs used by the gay community and at the time were not classed illegal.
“Ian worked at the old Ferranti company in Wythenshawe before buying and running his own hotel. I remember one story. He was in the Gay Village and on the table next to him were two men in drag, very self-conscious. On leaving Ian had a bottle of champagne sent to the table with the message “Fab” It summed him up, like him or not.”
In 2017 Ian moved to Bulgaria, having liked its warm summers when he visited decades earlier. His ashes were scattered under an apple tree on his land in the country.
In a nod to his character, his wishes for a ‘Viking’ send off were met.
Ian’s twin, Mark said: “Fifty nine is no age. My youngest son absolutely adored his uncle and misses him so much. Had Ian received compensation it would have made his last few years so much more comfortable. Other than to take a statement from Ian, police, to my knowledge never made further contact.”
A spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “The Independent Police Complaints Commission received an appeal in November 2017 regarding a complaint that was submitted to Greater Manchester Police concerning an incident in which a man suffered bites on his legs from a police dog.
“The appeal was partially upheld after we found the force failed to respond sufficiently to an allegation that an officer used excessive force with his police dog.
“We directed the force to reinvestigate this element of the complaint.”
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
In a statement GMP said their ‘deepest sympathies’ went out to Ian’s brother for his loss.
“A complaint was received by GMP that was in turn referred to the IOPC who recommended it be investigated locally.
“An investigation was conducted locally and found there to be no case for misconduct, but management advice was given to the officer involved.
“A full investigation report was sent to (Ian Bradley’s brother) to reassure him this had been looked into, and GMP has not been approached by him since the report was issued.
“GMP will always seek to address any concerns or complaints received by the public as fully as possible, and take appropriate action or learning wherever necessary.”
GMP confirmed that Ian was never charged with any offence. Asked if the officer in the case had set his dog on Ian because he suspected he was a burglar, a spokesman for the force said it was ‘not something we would comment on.’
