He 'used his car as a weapon' and rammed into a police officer in a Sainsbury's car park

Yahoo

2 days ago

A thug 'used his car as a weapon' to deliberately ram into a police officer in a horror collision in a Sainsbury's car park in Cheadle.
Police had been responding to reports of men taking class C drugs in the supermarket car park on Wilmslow Rad at around 11.45pm on January 25 of this year and asked that 19-year-old Harvey Bell remain in his Audi and turn off his engine.
Instead, he reversed the car and, as a female officer approached the front windscreen, he then drove towards her, knocking her to the ground and drove over her legs with both sets of wheels before speeding away from the scene.
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The victim briefly lost consciousness and suffered a deep cut requiring hospital treatment alongside bruising, cuts and scratches to her leg and arm.
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In a victim impact statement read out in court, the officer involved said: 'On Saturday 25 January, I donned my uniform and became a police officer, a role that I am immensely proud to do. By the end of my shift, I was in hospital, a victim of a violent assault that was equally despicable and totally unprovoked and needless.
'In my 16 years as a frontline officer, I have been met with violence - I have been punched, kicked and spat at, sometimes from the very people I am trying to help.
'I have always given the haters, the minority that kick and punch us, the benefit of the doubt. I felt that they don't see me as a person, a mum, a nanna, they just see the uniform, the black vest.
'On that Saturday night shift, I was on routine patrol, and I was thoughtlessly mown down by Harvey Bell, simply for doing my job. There was no confrontation, just a simple request from a police officer to stop their car.
'Bell drove the vehicle straight at me, causing me to fall to the ground, he then, without a thought, drove over my legs, before leaving the scene at speed, not knowing if I was alive or dead.
'My injuries have healed, the pain will go away, but the trauma of watching those wheels drive over my legs, the feeling of helplessness gives me continuous nightmares to this day."
Bell, of Bennet Drive in Knutsford, was traced and arrested by police the following day, January 26. He initially answered no comment in his interview but later pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and possession of cannabis.
The 19-year-old appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday (June 4) where he was sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.
Victoria Agulló, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: 'Assaults against frontline officers are totally unacceptable and today's sentence for Harvey Bell should leave those who would use a car as a weapon in no doubt that they will face the full force of the law.
'In her victim personal statement, the officer explained that whilst her injuries have healed, the trauma of watching the wheels drive over her legs and the feeling of helplessness still gives her nightmares.
'The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with Greater Manchester Police to build this case, including eyewitness testimony, CCTV footage and cell site data leaving Bell nowhere to go but admit what he had done.
'As Bell begins his prison sentence, I sincerely hope the officer, who is now back serving the public, can start to move forward knowing Bell has been brought to justice.'
Stockport Operational Policing Chief Inspector John Picton, added: 'This incident was truly shocking and a terrifying ordeal for the frontline Response Police officer who sustained serious injuries.
"There was absolutely no need for this incident to have happened or to end in the traumatic way it did. It highlights how routine incidents attended by our frontline officers can quickly escalate into very dangerous situations.
"Our police officers work every shift, answering the publics call for help in their hour of need, responding to incidents and providing an outstanding service to the communities they serve, achieving fantastic results in situations that are often challenging.
"Assaults on our officers are completely unacceptable and won't be tolerated. If you commit crime, we will find you and put you before the courts. The officer received the appropriate support and care from her colleagues and welfare network during her ordeal and recovery.
"I am pleased to report that the officer has returned to full duties on the frontline, doing the job they love, protecting the community of Stockport.'