A disqualified driver who drove into a police officer who attempted to stop a stolen vehicle in Bridport has been jailed.
Joshua Joseph Hayward, aged 31 and of Bridport, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday 27 November 2024 after admitting offences of dangerous driving, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, failing to stop following a road traffic collision, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without valid insurance. He further admitted offences of failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis and a second charge of failing to stop following a road traffic collision.
He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison and disqualified from driving for a period of seven years.
At around 5.45pm on Wednesday 7 August 2024 two officers on patrol in Bridport were searching for a vehicle that had been reported stolen two days previously in the town and spotted the car, a Honda Jazz, in the area of Alexandra Road.
They activated the blue lights on their police vehicle and approached the Honda, which proceeded to reverse into the junction of Gale Crescent.
The officer driving stopped the police car in front of the junction and his colleague got out to approach the Honda on foot. As he exited, the defendant drove straight at the police car in the Honda, trapping the officer’s leg against the car door.
Hayward then reversed back and then drove forward again, into the rear of the police car and mounting the pavement before he made off from the scene.
The injured officer issued a radio broadcast for assistance and colleagues spotted the Honda driving on West Bay Road.
The defendant was seen driving through Burton Bradstock, colliding with the rear of a stationary bus, before carrying on eastbound along the B3157 Coast Road towards Abbotsbury.
As he entered Abbotsbury, he encountered another marked police car and turned onto back roads before heading back onto the B3157, travelling west up Abbotsbury Hill.
When he reached the top of the hill, he attempted to turn into a side road but lost control of the vehicle, which collided with a gate and overturned.
The defendant was arrested and taken to hospital as a precaution. His front seat passenger, a man aged in his 40s, sustained a fractured sternum, fractured ribs and a ruptured bladder.
The officer who’s leg was trapped by Hayward’s vehicle sustained a crush injury to his leg with severe pain and bruising leaving him unable to walk for several weeks.
Police Constable James Hazell, of the Serious Collision Investigation Team, said: “Joshua Hayward’s extremely reckless driving on Wednesday 7 August 2024 saw him drive a car straight into an officer, who was simply doing his job and attempting to stop a stolen vehicle.
“The officer sustained a nasty injury to his leg, but the defendant’s actions could have had even more serious consequences and we simply will not tolerate this kind of behaviour that puts our officers’ lives at risk.
“Hayward continued to drive dangerously as he attempted to evade police, posing a further serious risk to other road users and the wider public as well as ultimately resulting in a collision that left his passenger with serious injuries.
“We have carried out a detailed investigation into these matters to ensure the defendant was held to account for his reprehensible behaviour.”
