A man who dragged an officer along the ground with his car and punched another in the head, has been sent to prison for four years and three months.
Two Essex Police officers were on patrol when they carried out a routine check on a Vauxhall Corsa that was parked on a grass verge in Merlin Close, Chafford Hundred, on 14th January this year.
When they spoke to the driver, Dayne Cooper, they discovered that the vehicle had no insurance and was not showing any details regarding a registered keeper.
Whilst speaking to Cooper, they also noticed that he had two half-snooker cues in his car along with a golf club and remnants of cannabis.
The officers asked Cooper to step out of the vehicle so they could search him.
But as one of the officers opened the driver’s door, Cooper started driving off, dragging the officer along the ground with one hand on the door handle.
Cooper then threatened to kill the officer before running over his foot as the car mounted the kerb onto a grass area in a bid to escape.
The officer attempted to grab the steering wheel and keys, and the car swerved.
The second officer tried to grab her colleague to pull him back away from the danger, but the car kept moving before coming to a stop.
Cooper was then pulled out of the car, but he continued to struggle with the officers.
The female officer pleaded with Cooper to calm down, but he punched her in the head, causing her to fall hard to the ground.
After being sprayed with CS gas, Cooper attempted to get into a member of the public’s car but when that failed he then tried to climb a gate.
Officers soon caught up with the thug and wrestled him to the ground.
In court, Cooper admitted actual bodily harm, assaulting an emergency worker, dangerous driving, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on 16 November.
The 27-year-old, of Fenton Road, Chafford Hundred, was jailed on 25 November.
He was also banned from driving for four years and eight months.
Cooper was also ordered to pay £600 compensation and £200 costs.
Investigating officer PC Owen Clements, of Grays CID, said:
“This was a horrific attack on colleagues who were just trying to do their job.
“Thankfully they were not seriously harmed but there could easily have been a very different outcome if that car had not stopped.”
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