VIDEO: Man who reversed car into two police officers in Bournemouth jailed
35-year-old Yussuf Mohamed Mire from London mounted the pavement and performed a U-turn after being asked to get out of his car
A motorist has been jailed after he mounted the pavement and collided with two officers as he attempted to make off from police in Bournemouth town centre.
Yussuf Mohamed Mire, aged 35 and of London, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 6 September 2024, where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting an offence of dangerous driving.
The defendant was also disqualified from driving for a period of 18 months.
At around 5.20am on Sunday 1 January 2023 officers on duty in the town centre received a report from a member of the public relating to a man who appeared to be intoxicated sat in a grey Mercedes in Old Christchurch Road.
The two officers approached the vehicle and asked Mire to switch off his engine and exit the car.
The defendant subsequently grabbed the steering wheel and accelerated forward.
He mounted the pavement, which was busy with pedestrians, and performed a U-turn. The two officers gave chase on foot and one attempted to pull Mire out of the car.
Mire responded by reversing the car into the officers, knocking them out of the way.
He then drove off through a pedestrianised area before eventually abandoning his vehicle in Hillside Drive in Christchurch and taking a taxi back to his address in London.
Following enquiries, Mire was located and arrested four days later and subsequently charged.
Police Constable Mark Burton, of the Roads Policing Team, said: “Fortunately the officers involved in this incident did not sustain any serious injuries but it is clear that Yussuf Mire’s reckless actions on New Year’s Day last year could easily have had far more serious consequences.
“He put both the officers and members of the public at serious risk through his dangerous behaviour and I am glad that through our investigations we were able to identify Mire as the driver involved and hold him accountable for his actions.
“I would also like to praise the officers involved for the bravery they showed in attempting to stop the moving vehicle in order to protect members of the public.”