Police officer hurt when driver tried to make off in Penrith

Ian Wright, 40, was brought before a district judge following an incident which occurred in central Penrith just after 10pm on Friday, November 4.

Wright was driving a black Volkswagen Golf on Castlegate in the direction of Ullswater and Cromwell roads. A female police sergeant in full uniform and on foot indicated that she required him to stop.

Prosecutor George Shelley told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court: “When requested to come to a full stop and turn the engine off, he took no positive action.

She engaged with the driver through a passenger window and proceeded to open the passenger door.

“While she was doing so, and while holding on to the passenger door with both hands, the driver of the vehicle proceeded to drive off, causing her to drag with the vehicle and fall to the ground.”

The officer suffered reddening to her hands and knees, and continuing pain to her left shoulder. The Golf was subsequently found parked up and unattended, and was seized by police.

Wright, of Powsy Sike, Ainstable, was later interviewed by police. “He said he panicked. He had cannabis on him,” said Mr Shelley.

“He did not realise the officer was injured. He accepted his driving fell below that of a careful and competent driver and apologised to the officer who was injured.”

The incident, said Mr Shelley, was captured very briefly on the officer’s body-worn camera. The distance travelled by the vehicle and officer was around 10ft.

Wright, the court heard, had 10 previous convictions for 32 offences, the last being in March of 2006 for assault and a Public Order Act crime.

Mr Shelley suggested compensation could be awarded to the injured officer.

The case was adjourned so that the probation service can assess whether an electronically monitored night time curfew can be imposed as part of Wright’s eventual sentence.

He is due back in court next Monday (December 5), was bailed until then and given an interim driving ban by the district judge, John Temperley.