A Cambridgeshire man is behind bars after crashing into a car with two off duty police officers twice in a matter of minutes.
Gareth Hyde, 42, fled the scene and returned to Littleport – but when police tracked him down, he pushed an officer down the stairs after being refused a cigarette.
He is now starting a 14-month prison sentence following the October 25, 2019 incident.
That night, off duty officers saw Hyde driving his silver Peugeot 206 erratically along Wisbech Road in Littleport around 1:20 a.m.
The couple, suspicious that he was under the influence, followed him and gave his registration number to answering machines, which informed officers of the shift in the area.
The off duty officers stopped their car and Hyde continued down Church Lane.
Moments later, however, Hyde returned and got into the officers’ parked vehicle, forcing it into a bollard.
Unaware that they were police officers, Hyde drove off, but came back again, crashed into the car a second time, and then drove away.
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Shortly thereafter, police on duty followed Hyde’s car to Plaines Lane in Littleport, where he lives, and he was arrested.
During his arrest, Hyde pushed an officer down a flight of stairs after he was refused a cigarette.
He failed to take a breath test and was found to be banned from driving.
Hyde admitted dangerous driving, drove during disqualification and attacked an emergency worker.
On Tuesday May 4th, he was sentenced to one year and four months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court.
PC Jacob Townsend said: “Hyde’s erratic behavior put all road users in extreme danger and the consequences could easily have been more serious.
“The violence and disrespect he showed the officer during his arrest was completely unacceptable.”
