Protecting your home

I have just read of a case heard in the Court of Appeal where a man successfully appealed against his conviction for owning a dangerous dog out of control in a public place,  which bit police officers who broke into his home.

BBC Report here

The appeal succeeded on the basis that it was the police officers' actions which allowed the dog to escape. I do not know the man concerned in the case, but I like the last line in the News Report -

 "It's not the dog's fault. You should have knocked. I would have let you in."

 It is worthy of A.P. Herbert's 'Misleading Cases'

I find this very odd, in all my years service I cannot recall one single time when a Police Officer has entered someone's private home to execute a search warrant without knocking several times first, or chucking the odd pebble at a window if there's a chance they're in bed. Just breaking in even with a warrant you're leaving yourself open to all sorts of allegations.

But this is the Met and they've always played by their own set if rules.