Havant man jailed over dangerous pursuit that left two police officers injured in Rowlands Castle

Simon Parker, aged 31, pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court earlier this month to nine offences following a dangerous pursuit across Rowlands Castle earlier this year.

Police spotted Parker driving a stolen Mini Copper during the early hours of January 28, resulting in an attempt to stop him at a petrol station in the Hampshire town.

Parker deliberately reversed the Mini into the police car to avoid arrest, causing a substantial amount of damage and narrowly avoiding trapping one police officer’s foot in the car door.

He then drove dangerously whilst being pursued by the police, driving the wrong way around a roundabout, driving on the wrong side of the road and mounting the pavement.

Parker eventually came to a stop, but again reversed into the police car at speed, causing injury to the officers, in an attempt to stop the police from following him.

When arrested, Parker was also found to be in possession of amphetamine, cannabis and Tramadol.

Now he has been jailed for two and a half years earlier today.

Parker had pleaded guilty to offences including dangerous driving, two counts of assaulting emergency workers, criminal damage, taking a conveyance without authority, driving whilst disqualified and three drug offences.

Alison Saunders, CPS Wessex senior crown prosecutor said: ‘It is extremely lucky that the police officers in this case were not more seriously injured, or that a member of the public was not hurt, given the extent of the dangerous way Simon Parker was driving in order to avoid arrest.

‘Putting police officers’ lives at risk with this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and the CPS will make sure that offenders are brought to justice.’