Man jailed for injuring Met officer after reversing into him
He had previously pleaded guilty to 14 offences, including dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
Last updated 2nd Feb 2023
A man who seriously injured a Met Police officer when he reversed into him to avoid being arrested has been jailed for four years.
24 year old Joseph Ward of Green Street, in Royston, Hertfordshire, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, 1 February.
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.
Suspicious behaviour
On 1 July 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.
Insp McGovern was suspicious of how the driver was behaving. He 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 he was taken to hospital with injuries to his legs, shoulders and back.
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 injures 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 and Ward was identified as the driver. Officers discovered he was already wanted for an offence on 23 June 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 20 July 2022.
Overwhelming Evidence
Investigators later linked him to two other offences, including on 5 July 2022 when he was involved in a collision in Crouch Hill and on 6 July 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 21 July 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.
"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.”