Driving-ban thug punched female police officer in the face after getting out of Audi in Leeds

Semir Osman was driving an Audi Q5 at 2am on July 12, 2022, and when police spotted it and they ran checks on the vehicle which flagged up no registered keeper and no insurance. Osman accelerated away and out of sight. They caught up with the Audi just in time to see Osman get out of the vehicle after parking up on Coldwell Road, Crossgates, prosecutor John Hobley told Leeds Crown Court.

Claiming he was taking insulin to a family member in a rush, officers noticed the smell of cannabis in his vehicle. The 26-year-old then tried to run from officers and lost his jacket in the process as they grabbed him. But when the female officer took hold of his arm, he swung at her, punching her to the eye. It cut her eyelid and caused swelling to her cheek. It resulted in temporary loss of vision. 

Two months later Osman, of Easterly Road, Roundhay, handed himself into the police at Eland Road Police Station. He later said he "felt bad because she was female". He said he was trying to get away and swung at her. He claimed he did not mean to punch her. However, it was determined the blow was intentional following a Newton hearing at court. He admitted charges of assaulting an emergency worker and dangerous driving. He has four previous convictions for nine offences including driving and drugs. His latest offences put him in breach of suspended sentence he received in June 2022 for dealing heroin and cocaine.

He got 24 months, suspended for 24 months on that occasion. He was also banned from driving for being over the limit for drugs. His third ban since 2019. Mitigating, Sam Roxborough said: "He does suffer depression and anxiety. He was struggling to find any form of employment because of his criminal record getting in the way. He was without his medication that really stabilised him."

He said his father was working in war-torn Sudan and the family had previously not heard from him in months and it was causing Osman problems. Mr Roxborough added: "He was overwhelmed, none of it provides an excuse but puts in a context for his life at the time." He said it was his friend's car and pointed out he had no previous convictions for violence. 

The Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl KC gave activated nine months of his suspended sentence, and gave him an additional four months to run consecutively - a total of 13 months. He also gave him another driving ban of two years.