Hayden Brown, 25, ‘used the road as a race track’ and slammed into police officer Tom Dorman
A drink and drug-fuelled driver who slammed into a police officer in a crash that forced the officer to have his leg amputated has been jailed for five years.
Hayden Brown, 25, ‘used the road as a race track’ and sent police officer Tom Dorman flying through the air ‘like a rag doll’ after hitting him in Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Police constable Mr Dorman watched in court today as Brown was jailed for the maximum sentence of five years for the ‘near death crash’ that cost the policeman his left leg.
Brown, a road safety technician, was driving a group of people back to a party after buying alcohol and balloons of nitrous oxide when he lost control, slamming into PC Dorman and PC Wai-Man Lam, who were speaking to another driver they had stopped.
Prosecutor Michael Roques told the sentencing judge that PC Dorman managed to save his own life by telling a passer-by how to tie a tourniquet around his shattered leg to stop him bleeding to death as he lay in the road.
Brown’s Ford Focus car crushed Mr Dorman and his colleague, who suffered lesser injuries.
Today, Judge Sarah Campbell heard that Brown, of Maidenhead, callously ran from the scene as his own twin brother lay beneath the crushed car.
The court heard he was later discovered hiding in a bush after the horrific crash which happened on September 2 last year.
Brown attempted to blame passenger Anilh Butt, who was subject to investigation for months after the accident but was never charged.
She told the judge today of her ‘traumatising’ experience.
She said: ‘I woke up at the scene of the crash still underneath the car, at first I could not feel my legs. I was taken from the crash to the hospital where they told me I had broken 24 bones. My injuries are still healing.
The court heard that PC Lam had been diagnosed with PTSD since the incident and his daughter has had to have counselling following his return to work.
PC Dorman pictured left before the crash and right outside court today in his wheelchair. He managed to save his own life by telling a passer-by how to tie a tourniquet around his shattered leg to stop him bleeding to death as he lay in the road
Judge Campbell, sitting at Reading Crown Court, told Brown: ‘You are now 25 years old. This trial was a reflection of how you behaved by running away, putting yourself over those seriously injured at the scene, failing to accept responsibility.
‘You thought you would be able to persuade the jury otherwise, you had a chance to apologise, but still you show no remorse for the trail of destruction.
‘This case shows the dangers police face trying to protect the public. PC Dorman and PC Lam were on the other side of the road, there was no reason they should have come to any harm at all. You had been drinking vodka, beer and cider with balloons and cocaine.’
The judge referred to evidence about the ‘shocking manner of driving’ given by Anilh Butt who said: ‘He was driving really fast, I had no idea why he was doing it, I knew he was into cars and racing, there was no reason for him to drive in the way he did.
‘I heard Charlie say ”tear it up” it was obvious to me it was dangerous. Someone shouted slow down as we went into the tunnel.’
PC Dorman (pictured outside court today) was sent flying through the air ‘like a rag doll’ after the crash
Judge Campbell said: ‘By all accounts, the decision to drive in the shocking dangerous manner was yours and yours alone. Members of the public could hear it pass their houses.
‘The car did a few wheel spins, went to the wrong side of the road and tragically crashed and they were thrown into the air like rag dolls.
‘It seems to me you turned a public road into a racing car track. You were seen to run away from the scene, callously you did not remain to see how your own twin brother was.
‘You were arrested at 7am found hiding in a bush, you were agitated. When you were brought into the custody suite you were irritated at being in a police station 20 miles from home. You were heard to say ”obviously I was driving, obviously I injured people.”
‘Your DNA was found on both the passenger and drivers seat.’
The judge spoke of the victim impact statements which made for ‘heartbreaking reading.’
She said: ‘I am aware that any sentence I pass could not reflect the impact on the rest of their lives. There are a number of sentence guidelines for causing serious injuries I am entitled to take into account, I am therefore constrained.
‘There a number of aggravating features; consuming alcohol and drugs before driving, you did not stay at the scene, you shifted the blame to Anilh Butt who. remained under the shadows of an investigation before the decision was made to not charge her.’
The judge sentenced Brown to the maximum of five years on three counts to run concurrently with each other and disqualified him from driving for a total of seven years and six months, making him take an extended driving test.
PC Doman read a statement outside the court.
He said: ‘At around 8.10am on Sunday September 2 2018 Hayden Brown was complaining to a police sergeant that he was in police custody, 20 miles from his home address. At the same time, I was fighting for my life at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford following the injuries I received as a direct result of Brown’s actions.
‘Brown knew that he would be over the drink-drive limit and the concoction of drugs including smoking cannabis and consuming cocaine, yet he chose to drive a short distance in such a dangerous manner that it nearly proved fatal.
‘I am pleased that Brown has been convicted for his dangerous behaviour despite the fact that when faced with overwhelming evidence he still refused to admit his guilt or apologies. I am pleased the jury rejected his defence and saw through his lies.
‘The result of his actions will have a short impact on his life compared with the long lasting impact this has had on mine, my family, my colleagues and his passengers’ lives.
‘The judge today passed the maximum sentence in law she was entitled to do. I would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to the fact that the maximum sentence is the same for this offence as it is for assaults of causing actual bodily harm, which can include injuries as low level as cuts that require stitches.
‘I urge the Government to review the maximum sentence for causing serious injury by dangerous driving and consider introducing an offence of causing serious injury by careless driving.’
Brown was convicted of three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.