Danger driver who behaved like “a raging animal” had to be tasered by police after Calderdale pursuit

The officers had tried to stop banned driver Steven Anderson when he was spotted behind the wheel of a Volvo car in the Halifax Road area of Todmorden.

Prosecutor Matthew Harding told Bradford Crown Court today (Tuesday) that the self-employed plumber, who was jailed for 20 months, ignored the police car’s blue lights and deliberately served towards the vehicle when the officers pulled alongside.

The court heard that Anderson, who had three passengers in the Volvo, drove at up to 55mph in 30mph zones and he twice stopped the car before trying to reverse into the police vehicle.

When the Volvo, which was later found to be unroadworthy, came to a stop on a single track road Anderson refused to get out and he ended up reversing at speed into a nearby wall.

Mr Harding said one officer described Anderson as “acting like a raging animal” when he started fighting the officers.

Anderson, of Longfellow Court, Mytholmroyd, had to be Tasered to get him to release his grip on one officer and he was eventually handcuffed and arrested.

Recorder Alexander Menary heard that Anderson had previous convictions for dangerous driving, careless driving and driving while banned.

Last month Anderson pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, assaulting two emergency workers, failing to stop and driving without insurance.

Barrister Ken Green, for Anderson, said his client had been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and his offending was related to relapses in taking his medication.

Recorder Menary said the eight-minute pursuit had involved a prolonged course of very bad driving including two attempts to ram the police car by reversing towards it.

He jailed Anderson for 16 months for the dangerous driving offence with an additional four months in prison for the assaults on the two police officers.

Anderson was also banned from driving for two years and 10 months and he must take an extended retest.