A man has been jailed for six years after ramming his van into a police officer and car in a bid to escape

Kyle Woods (29/08/1991) of Didcot Road, Manchester, earlier plead guilty to assault and dangerous driving.

He had initially been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the incident on Sunday 5 May this year.

At around 10.30pm on the day, an officer from our Trafford response team attended a property on Beech Road in Sale, to speak to a woman about reports relating to Woods.

About an hour later, the officer left the property and got into his car, before spotting Woods driving past him in his Vauxhall Movano. The officer quickly manoeuvred his vehicle to prevent Woods getting out of the road, before getting out to speak to him.

The officer attempted to engage with Woods, who was turning his vehicle around in the cul-de-sac. However, he then quickly accelerated towards a gap between the officer’s car and another vehicle.

The officer was knocked down and the car damaged, with Woods subsequently driving off from the scene.

The officer received a fractured ankle in addition to multiple abrasions and cuts on his legs from the attack, with the injuries still affecting him several months on.

Woods was arrested the following day before being charged with attempted murder. The charges were later dropped after he plead guilty to assault and dangerous driving.

Constable Smith from our Trafford district said: “We are fortunate that the officer involved in this disgusting attack did not suffer more serious injuries, and is thankfully back serving his community.

“Our officers put their safety on the line day-in, day-out, and Woods’ heinous actions earlier this year demonstrate what sort of violence they can face from criminals.

“I want to commend all the officers involved in this shocking case, as plenty of work has gone into securing this conviction. I am glad Woods is now behind bars, away from the people of Greater Manchester, and with plenty of time to think about his vile actions.”

Garry Crawford, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: “Assaults against brave frontline officers are unacceptable and today’s result should leave would-be criminals in no doubt that those who attack police will face the full force of the law.

“In this harrowing incident, Woods drove his van into the officer, ran over him and then fled the scene.

“In a moving victim impact statement, the officer described feeling excruciating pain and explained that he is still suffering from the physical injuries months later.

“He also detailed the severe psychological impact of the incident, describing it as one of the most traumatic events of his life.

“The Crown Prosecution Service worked hard with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case including eyewitness testimony, CCTV footage and medical evidence. The strength of the evidence was such that Woods had little option but to admit what he had done.

“As Woods begins his prison sentence, I sincerely hope the officer, who is now back serving the public, makes a full recovery.”