South Elmsall moped rider who mowed down police officer in Wakefield jailed for four years

Daniel Swaincott threw a bottle at the officer on Wentworth Drive, South Kirkby, then struck him him with the bike, causing minor injuries. The 34-year-old was detained and was found to be carrying more than 60 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin on him and £522 in cash.

However, only six days prior, on October 6 last year, Swaincott was involved in a low-speed chase when police tried to pull him over in South Elmsall while he was behind the wheel of a white Skoda Octavia, fitted with false registration plates.

Dash-cam footage showed the Skoda stopping in a backstreet, before reversing and ramming the front of the police vehicle. The two officers in the car suffered minor injuries, but were able to arrest Swaincott. He had a man bag containing 20 wraps of cocaine, with 16 more found in the centre console of the car. He also had £982 in cash.

Swaincott, of Beech Street, South Elmsall, has 13 previous convictions for 23 offences. None are for drugs matters but he received a lengthy jail sentence for robbery in 2015. He also has previous driving convictions. He admitted two counts of dealing in cocaine, one of dealing in heroin, assault on an emergency worker and dangerous driving.

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A probation report suggested the father-of-twins had run up a debt from his own cocaine use, and dealers came to his house and made threats to his family. After his first arrest on October 6, he said the dealers ordered him to re-pay the loss of drugs confiscated by police, forcing him to sell again. He previously worked as a landscaper, but had been out of work at the time.

Mitigating, Imran Khan: said: "He has stated how remorseful he is for his actions and will miss a significant portion of his twins' life. He knows he must face a lengthy custodial sentence. He maintains that it was a drugs debt that he found himself in and unable to pay back.

Judge Richard Mansell KC accepted it was due to drugs debt. He gave him four years' jail and banned from driving for four years. He must take an extended retest to get his licence back.