Argument over dog lands Douglas man in jail

23-year-old 'brandished' knife after disagreement

A Douglas man who got into an argument over a dog has been jailed for 10 months after ‘brandishing’ a knife at members of the public.

Dillon Frazer Cowie, of Marathon Drive, admitted causing people to believe they were at risk of immediate unlawful violence on 5 June.

At Douglas Courthouse this week magistrates heard the 23-year-old was on the promenade in Peel when he challenged a man who he believed was wrongly chastising a dog.

After arguing with him Cowie left the area but, almost three hours later, the two men crossed paths again in a shop in Laxey.

Cowie ended up in another argument with the man – once outside Cowie told him and a woman he was with: “I’ll take you both on and I’ll punch you both.”

After getting in his car Cowie started shouting threats at the other people before taking out a knife with a six-inch blade saying: “I’ll give you some of this.”

After being arrested the following day Cowie denied having the knife, or threatening anyone, and the weapon was not recovered.

Cowie’s advocate told the court the incident as a ‘blip’ adding he was an animal lover and had taken issue with what he'd perceived to be a punch to the dog.

Describing the fact the men had met twice, in different locations, as an ‘incredibly chance encounter’ he added that it had been a ‘jokey interaction’ at first which then became heated.

Magistrates sentenced Cowie to four months in custody and activated six months of a suspended sentence which he’d been serving at the time of the offence.