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Dramatic footage shows the moment a half-naked van driver repeatedly rammed a police car while high on drugs – before being arrested in a back garden in his underwear.
Paul Neelan, 29, deliberately ploughed into a squad car six times with a transit van after officers were called to reports of a fight in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Shocking footage shows the thug smashing into the vehicle, leaving two officers with neck and back injuries in the incident on Hancock Green in Coventry.
Paul Neelan, 29, of Coventry, has been found guilty of two counts of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on January 27 and will be sentenced at Leamington Crown Court on March 4
He can then be seen trying to drive off but crashing moments later as he failed to negotiate a roundabout.
Neelan, of Coventry, was chased down by officers armed with tasers and he was found hiding in a garden nearby wearing just a pair of boxer shorts.
He was found guilty of two counts of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on January 27 and will be sentenced at Leamington Crown Court on March 4.
Following the case, West Midlands Police released images of their wrecked Vauxhall Insignia after Neelan caused £15,000 worth of damage.
The force said they had been called to reports of a serious disorder and a vehicle deliberately driving at people at around 1.45am on January 1.
The incident happened on Hancock Green in Coventry on New Year’s Day and caused £15,000 worth of damage to the Vauxhall Insignia squad car
After crashing his van while trying to negotiate a roundabout, half-naked Neelan fled the scene on foot, with officers tracking him down to a nearby garden
The police said: ‘Shockingly, they were rammed six times, the impact triggering the car’s airbags and tearing off a door, before Neelan hit another police car.’
Officers spotted the van being driven recklessly and mounting a pavement before it was reversed into officers.
Detective Constable Bally Kaur, said: ‘This was a shocking attack on two officers who were heading to the scene of a disorder to protect members of the public.
Dashcam footage from inside the damaged Vauxhall Insignia shows the police hot on Neelan’s tail as he tries to make his getaway following the wanton ramming attack
Drugged up Neelan is arrested in a nearby garden after fleeing from where he crashed his van – wearing only his boxer shorts
‘One of the officers had to be carried off on a spinal board but thankfully they turned out not to be seriously injured.
‘Neelan could easily have injured more people and caused a serious crash as he sped away high on drugs.
‘Anyone who assaults emergency service workers must expect to pay a high price and spend time behind bars.’
Source: Daily Mail
