Drunk posing as policeman ‘making checks’ caught after flagging down genuine officer

A DRUNK who posed as a policeman to stop traffic made an unfortunate error when he flagged down a real officer on his way to work.

And when he was rumbled he tried to grab the British Transport Police officer by his testicles.

Mohammed Khan was making “routine checks” by flagging down cars at around 6am at the junction of Ladywood Road and Memorial Road on November 1.

But the 29-year-old was caught out after he tried to pull over an officer on his way to work for British Transport Police who became suspicious and asked him for his credentials.

When the real officer produced his warrant card and asked Khan to do the same he kept up the act telling him he was speaking to his “Sarge” via a “concealed microphone” in his body warmer.

After trying to move Khan out of the road, a struggle ensued in which Khan tried to grab the officer’s genitals. However, even after being caught, the defendant continued to flag down vehicles before getting into one and telling the driver to take him to hospital because he’d “been stabbed”.

Khan admitted a charge of impersonating a police officer at Birmingham Magistrates Court and was jailed for six months. They activated a suspended sixweek prison sentence, imposed at the same court in September for theft and assault, and ordered Khan to serve a consecutive 18 week sentence for impersonating a police officer.

Prosecutor Samreen Akhtar said: “The victim in this case is a police officer and the witness is his partner who was dropping him to a train station where he works for British Transport Police. Mr Khan was stood at the junction of Monument Road and Ladywood Road and was holding out his left hand. He shouted he was a police officer carrying out routine checks.

“He spoke to the driver and read out the registration and description of the car into what appeared to be a concealed microphone in his body warmer.

“The genuine police officer got out of the vehicle, showed him his warrant card and asked him to do the same. He refused and continued to speak into his body warmer, making repeated reference to ‘sarge’ and ‘sergeant’. The genuine officer became concerned for the defendant’s safety and asked him to move out of the road, which is when he smelt alcohol.

“It’s at this point he called 999 and took hold of his arm. A struggle ensued and both men ended up on the floor where the defendant tried to grab hold of the officer’s testicles. Because of the level of aggression the officer disengaged and made another 999 call.

“The defendant continued to flag down vehicles and got into one of them after telling the driver to take him to hospital because he had been stabbed.

“He was later arrested and interviewed where he denied the offence.”

Shanaz Begum, representing Khan, said her client had suffered from Asperger’s Syndrome since 2001 and had been drunk at the time of committing the offence.

She added: “He has a vague recollection of what happened, but his judgment was clouded by drink. He did not go out to intentionally do this. He says it’s a blip, a stupid mistake and he is very remorseful and sorry.

“He says if he could go back and change it he would. He had a very bad year last year with a number of family issues and he turned to drink and drugs.”

Magistrates told Khan his actions had undermined the community’s faith in the role of police officers.