A MAN who seriously injured a police officer by reversed into him to avoid being arrested has been jailed for four years.
Joseph Ward, 24, of Green Street, Royston, Hertfordshire, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, February 1).
He 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.
Joseph Ward has been jailed for four yearsOn July 1, 2022, Inspector Tony McGovern, from the Violent Crime Taskforce, was on a motorcycle patrol in Haringey when he became aware of a car, being driven by Ward, at the junction of Upton Road and Woolmer Road.
Suspicious of how the driver was behaving, Insp McGovern 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.
Insp McGovern called for urgent assistance from other officers and was taken to hospital with injuries to his legs, shoulders and back.
Today, following Ward's sentencing, the Metropolitan Police service released the footage of the ramming attack.
View the ramming attack below:
Regarding the incident, Inspector Tony 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 injuries I suffered that day, however I remain determined to serve the people of London and remove violent and dangerous offenders from the streets."
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 on Eade Road, N4.
Following a complex manhunt, Ward was later arrested in Letchworth in Hertfordshire, on July 20, 2022.
Investigators later linked him to two other offences, including on July 5, 2022 when he was involved in a collision in Crouch Hill and on July 6, 2022 where he failed to stop for police on Goat Lane in Enfield, and damaged 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.
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.”
He added: "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.”
