Federation: Lenient jail term for man who drove at officer

A JAIL sentence of less than three years for a plasterer who deliberately drove a van at a police officer has been described as “very lenient” by South Yorkshire Police Federation.

Nicholas Murray, 23, triggered a police chase in Todwick, Rotherham, when he tried to escape officers. Once caught, he tried to drive through an impossible gap between two police vans – and at police officer, PC Daniel Troman.

David Wain, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court, said: “PC Daniel Troman was trapped, closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable.”

Jailing Murray Recorder Simon Batiste said: “This was a most dangerous piece of driving.”

Murray, of Beckett Avenue, Carlton in Lindrick, admitted dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drugs, assault causing actual bodily harm, possessing the drug MCat and having no insurance.

He was a passenger in a Ford Transit van being driven by a friend who was stopped and arrested by officers on suspicion of drink-driving in January this year. While the officers were dealing with the driver, Murray leapt into the driver’s seat and drove off.

He was chased by the police. Mr Wain said Murray drove at 60mph in a 30mph zone, ploughed through red lights and forced other drivers to take evasive action.

He twice stopped and reversed the Ford Transit pushing a police van out of the way and accelerating and hitting another vehicle driven by PC Mark Adams.

Fearing for his safety PC Adams jumped back and hurt his knee then Murray tried to drive between the gap between the two police vans trapping PC Troman.

Neil Bowles, chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “PC Daniel Troman was keeping the county’s roads safe when Murray drove at him. PC Troman thought he was about to be killed.

“This is what every officer faces as they leave home and family to go to work, will they return at the end of the shift in one piece, if at all?  This is one of the worst cases of this kind I have heard of within South Yorkshire.

“Three years seems very lenient to me. The judiciary have to set an example to deter wanton acts of violence against our police officers.”