Man sentenced to two years in prison for injuring a police officer after ramming into patrol car

A man has been jailed for two years after deliberately ramming a police car, injuring an officer who was sitting inside.

Paul Morton, 31, from Gateshead, twice reversed his 4x4 into the patrol car which was parked outside a house in Hartlepool in October.

Teesside Crown Court heard the officer feared he would be killed and was left with head, neck and shoulder injuries.

Morton is guilty of dangerous driving and assault causing actual bodily harm. and has been disqualified from driving for two years after his release.

  • Chief Constable Richard Lewis said:

The force said they are "satisfied with the sentence" handed to Morton and will maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse against their officers.

  • Hartlepool CID Detective Inspector Mark Hanson said: