Man jailed after ‘seriously injuring’ officer by reversing car into him
A “dangerous” man who seriously injured a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer when he rammed his car into him to avoid arrest has been jailed for four years.
Joseph Ward, from, Royston in Hertfordshire, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday (February 1).
The 24-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to 14 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, impersonating a police officer, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
The MPS said Inspector Tony McGovern, from the Violent Crime Taskforce, was on a motorcycle patrol in Haringey on July 1, 2022, when he became aware of a car, being driven by Ward, at the junction of Upton Road and Woolmer Road.
“Insp McGovern was suspicious of how the driver was behaving. He spoke with Ward through his driver side window after the car came to a stop. Ward then suddenly pulled forward and instantly reverse rammed into Insp McGovern, before driving away at speed,” said the force.
“Insp McGovern called for urgent assistance from other officers and he was taken to hospital with injuries to his legs, shoulders and back.”
Insp McGovern said: “I have been a police officer for 18 years and I never expected to be deliberately rammed off my motorbike in such a violent and aggressive act.
“I continue to recover from the injures I suffered that day, however I remain determined to serve the people of London and remove violent and dangerous offenders from the streets.”
The MPS said an “urgent investigation” was launched following the incident and Ward was identified as the driver.
Officers discovered he was already wanted for an offence on June 23, 2022, when he posed as a police officer and demanded money from another driver in North London.
Following a “complex manhunt”, Ward was later arrested in Letchworth in Hertfordshire, on July 20 last year
Investigators later linked him to two other offences, including being involved in a collision in Crouch Hill on July 5, 2022, and fa day later failing to stop for police in Enfield, damageing two police cars.
“As a result of the overwhelming evidence collected by investigators and following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Ward was charged on July 21, 2022 with 14 separate offences,” said the MPS.
Detective Chief Superintendent Lee Hill, who leads the Violent Crime Taskforce, said: “Joseph Ward is a dangerous man and I have no doubt that he would have gone on to commit more offences.
“I am pleased that he has received a custodial sentence and I praise Tony for his outstanding bravery.
“Our officers work tirelessly to protect the public from violent crime and we will never tolerate any form of assault on emergency workers, whose job it is to protect the public.”