Man jailed for ramming cop with car

11 December 2018, 05:50 | Updated: 11 December 2018, 05:52

A "completely reckless" motorist who twice knocked over a police constable after she attempted to pull his vehicle over has been jailed for seven years.

Pc Nina Foran and other officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) responded to a report that a car had been stolen from a takeaway driver who was also assaulted in Prestwich on the evening of May 16.

The officers were still at the scene in Kersal Road when the stolen car returned and Pc Foran told the driver to get out of the vehicle.

Instead the driver, Reham Baluch, 32, reversed the vehicle at speed and the car door slammed into Pc Foran, who was thrown on to a parked car and then on to the ground.

The car also hit a male passer-by who was thrown backwards and landed between two parked cars as other members of the public and officers dived for cover.

Baluch then surged forward and the driver's door hit a recovering Pc Foran who was thrown to the ground a second time, said GMP.

He went on to collide with several parked cars and a police van before the vehicle was found abandoned in Carlyle Close, Cheetham Hill.

Baluch was tracked down and arrested the following morning.

Pc Foran suffered an injury to her hand and also sustained bruising across her body. The pedestrian was taken to hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruises.

On Monday, Baluch, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for offences of dangerous driving, aggravated taking of a vehicle without consent, assault, attempted assault and driving while disqualified.

He was also sentenced for a similar incident in Alderglen Road, Cheetham Hill, on March 19 when he drove a vehicle at another officer who had to jump out of the way to avoid being run over.

Baluch's passenger in the May incident, Saqib Kader, 27, of Faraday Avenue, Cheetham Hill, was jailed for one year for aggravated taking of a vehicle without consent.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Keith Holt said: "This was completely reckless behaviour by Baluch and Kader and they showed absolutely no regard for the officers or pedestrians involved.

"The manner in which Baluch acted was careless beyond belief and it is only down to sheer luck that more people weren't injured.

"Officers put themselves on the line to protect our streets but they should never be subjected to something like this."