Mansfield knife attacker dragged off scooter by police dog

Junior Dietlin attacked four of his victims in and around Mansfield town centre on the evenings of Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 February 2023.

Each of the victims reported being stabbed in the arm in unprovoked attacks by a man riding a lime green coloured electric scooter.

Another victim was also assaulted in a similar attack in Blyth Street, Mapperley, on the evening of February 8.

As the victims recovered from their injuries, Nottinghamshire Police began a major investigation to identify and arrest the then unknown attacker.

A very large amount of CCTV footage was reviewed, and plain-clothed officers were deployed to Mansfield area on subsequent evenings in a bid to catch him.

Dietlin was spotted on the evening of February 13 as he rode his scooter through the town.

After being challenged by an officer in Devon Drive, he turned around and fled at speed.

His scooter, however, was no match for the speed of Police Dog Wolf, who quickly chased him down, latched onto his arm and dragged him to the ground.

Dietlin was arrested as other officers rushed to the scene.

The scooter he was riding and the clothes he was wearing closely matched the ones described by his victims.

A locking style was found nearby. A separate kitchen style knife was recovered from a bag found at a local address where Dietlin had been staying.

Mobile phone date also proved that he had been in the area of each attack at around the time they were committed.

Dietlin, of Ransom Drive, Nottingham, denied involvement in the offences and claimed someone else had to have been responsible.

He also claimed to be travelling to the shops at the time of his arrest. The victims were all treated for cuts to their arms.

Dietlin, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, continued to deny involvement in the attacks but was later found guilty of five counts of malicious wounding and four counts of possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Appearing at Leicester Crown Court on Friday (April 12) he was made the subject of an indefinite hospital order.

In order to protect the public he can only be discharged from hospital with the agreement of the Secretary of State for Justice.

Detective Constable Matthew Fagan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The victims in this case were simply going about their daily business when they were subjected to entirely unprovoked acts of violence by Dietlin, who, after stabbing them in the arm, calmly walked or scooted away from the scene.

“A very large number of officers were deployed to this case to help track down and arrest Dietlin and I would like to thank each of them for many hours of work they put in over those few days to identify this offender and bring him into custody.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the actions of the police dog and his handler who acted so quickly to bring this man down.

“It really is a great example of what a well-trained police dog and handler can achieve in the service of the public.”