A 27-year-old man who crashed into a police car whilst trying to evade officers with a child in the car has been jailed for two and a half years.
Wayne Smith, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, assaulted a woman in his apartment during an argument in August 2019. When she reported it to the police, they visited his address and discovered a suicide note.
Police officers attempted to contact him but he didn’t respond to their messages. He was later seen driving northbound at Junction 22 of the A5, travelling at speeds of up to 90mph.
Specialist roads policing officers used their skills to try and stop the car, but he undertook vehicles on the hard shoulder before crashing into his Ford Focus into a police car. The BMW X5 flipped several times and trapped the officer inside as it caught fire.
The officer suffered head injuries. He was treated in hospital, but fortunately wasn’t seriously hurt.
Following the crash, officers discovered the child in the rear passenger foot well. The child was injured in the incident, suffering bruising but was lucky to avoid any serious harm.
Despite Smith pleading not guilty to battery, dangerous driving, wilful exposure of a child to danger and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, he was found guilty during a trial and convicted of the offences.
Kerry Moreton, of the CPS, said: “The defendant embarked on a very serious and dangerous course of action, putting his own wishes above the safety of others. It is fortunate indeed that no one was killed as a result. The defendant will now have some time to reflect on his actions while those affected by them try to find a way forward.
“The case demonstrates how the police put themselves in danger during the course of their duties and I should like to thank them and the lorry driver who assisted and gave evidence in the case.”
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