A THURROCK man who dragged a policeman along the ground with his car and punched a female officer in the head has been jailed for four years and three months.

Two officers were on patrol and carried out a routine check on a Vauxhall Corsa parked on a grass verge in Merlin Close, Chafford Hundred, on 14 January this year.

They spoke to the driver, Dayne Cooper, and found the car had no insurance or registered keeper. They also noticed two half snooker cues, a golf club and remnants of cannabis in the back and asked him to step out of the car so they could carry out a search.

As one of the officers opened the driver's door, Cooper started driving off, dragging the officer along the ground with one hand on the door handle. He threatened to kill him and ran over his foot as the car mounted the kerb onto a grass area.

The officer attempted to grab the steering wheel and keys, and the car swerved.

The second officer, a female, tried to grab her colleague to pull him back, but the car kept moving before coming to a stop. Cooper was pulled out of the car but struggled with the male officer.

The female officer pleaded with him to calm down but he punched her in the head, and she fell to the ground. She sprayed him with CS spray but he made off and she gave chase.

Cooper attempted to get into a member of the public's car, then tried to climb a gate. But she grabbed him and other officers helped her detain him.

He admitted actual bodily harm, assaulting an emergency worker, dangerous driving, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court.

The 27-year-old, of Fenton Road, Chafford Hundred, was jailed on 25 November and banned from driving for four years and eight months. He was also ordered to pay £600 compensation and £200 costs.

Investigating officer PC Owen Clements, of Grays CID, said: "This was a horrific attack on colleagues who were just trying to do their job. Thankfully they were not seriously harmed but there could easily have been a very different outcome if that car had not stopped."