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A man who deliberately knocked a police officer off his motorbike and fled the scene has been jailed.
Joseph Ward, 24, reversed the Mitsibushi Land Cruiser into Inspector Tony McGovern, in Royston, Hertfordshire, during a traffic stop, a court heard.
The police inspector was left injured on the road after Ward sped off in the car and fled the scene last July.
Inspector McGovern was taken to hospital where he was treated for injuries to his legs, back and shoulders and managed to record the incident on his headcam.
At Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, Ward pleaded guilty to 14 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police and was jailed for four years.
Inspector McGovern said after the sentencing: ‘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.’
After the incident on July 1 last year, police launched a manhunt for Ward, who they discovered was already wanted for an offence on June 23 that year, for posing as a police officer and demanding money from a driver.
It was all captured on the police officer’s headcam footage (Picture: Metropolitan Police/SWNS)
Joseph Ward rammed into inspector McGovern (Picture: Metropolitan Police/SWNS)
Ward then drove off and left the police inspector injured at the scene (Picture: Metropolitan Police/ SWNS)
Joseph Ward has been jailed for four years (Picture: Metropolitan Police/SWNS)
He was later arrested in Letchworth, Hertforshire, on July 20.
Ward was also linked to two other offences including a collision in Crouch Hill on July 5 and a failure to stop when he damaged two police cars in Enfield on July 6.
Detective chief superintendent Lee Hill 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.’
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He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
