Thug ploughed into police car crushing officer

A THUG who crushed a constable after ploughing into his police car was jailed yesterday for 21 months.

Michael Forbes, 30, collided with Chris Donald’s door as he was exiting the vehicle during a pursuit in Faifley, West Dunbartonshire, on July 23, 2020.

The officer was trapped between the vehicle and the car door causing soft tissue damage to his hand as well as bruising to the right shin.

Forbes pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to dangerous driving which resulted in PC Donald being injured.

The court heard that officers clocked Forbes’s Vauxhall Astra driving at high speed on Kinfauns Drive.

PC Donald activated blue lights and put the vehicle in the middle of the road.

Prosecutor Katie Bell said: “PC Donald began exiting the police vehicle and was halfway out when Forbes drove at the driver’s side of the vehicle and collided with the open door of the police vehicle.

“This trapped PC Donald’s right leg.

“PC Donald’s right hand was pushed back with the force of the vehicle hitting the door.”

Further officers pursued Forbes including a dog unit and a helicopter but he managed to escape.

The car was later found abandoned and Forbes was initially unable to be traced elsewhere.

PC Donald was taken to hospital for scans and he was found to have sustained his injuries.

Paul Sweeney, defending, told the court the dad- of- five “panicked” after seeing the officers due to his manner of driving.

Sheriff Tony Kelly said:

“The court is quite shocked at the appalling driving narrated.

“This was an intentional collision you caused by driving your vehicle towards the police car.

“More significantly, the police officer was between the door and the vehicle.

“It is by sheer good fortune the injuries were not more severe.

“There is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

Forbes, of Faifley, was also disqualified from driving for five years.