A TEENAGE driver who injured a police officer by reversing over him on his quad bike has been locked up.

Jack Murphy-Bennett, 19, knocked down PC Dave Hudson in what Bradford Crown Court heard was a “traumatic” incident that has left the officer questioning his future as part of the district’s anti-social bike team.

Prosecutor Alisha Kaye said police had been called to Horton Park in Bradford on June 14 after reports of people riding quad bikes near where children were playing. PC Hudson arrived and saw Murphy-Bennett, who headed straight towards the officer to find his exit from the park was blocked.

Murphy-Bennett then reversed the bike at “full throttle” and knocked PC Hudson over, leaving the bike resting on top of him. Miss Kaye said PC Hudson was pushing to try and free himself of the bike, which was “revving next to his face and body.”

He managed to get to his feet and then gave chase to the teenager, who had tried to run away.

Along with staff from a nearby doctor’s surgery, PC Hudson caught the defendant, who was then arrested. Miss Kaye said the officer then “went into shock”, and was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary where he was treated for soft-tissue damage and bruising.

In interview with police, Murphy-Bennett, of Little Horton Lane, Bradford, said he had hit PC Hudson accidentally while trying to escape and had driven over him in “sheer panic.” He had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving prior to his sentencing hearing.

Miss Kaye said PC Hudson had been a serving police officer for 20 years, including 11 years with the Bradford anti-social bike team. She said he was now “considering his post” following the “traumatic” incident, for which he had been forced to take time off work and was still receiving counselling.

Gerald Hendron, for Murphy-Bennett, said his client had made a “momentary decision” to reverse the quad bike that was not deliberate. He said the teenager, an unemployed bricklayer, was “terrified” at the prospect of a custodial sentence.

Judge David Hatton QC said he “could not ignore” the seriousness of the offence and ordered Murphy-Bennett to serve 20 weeks in a young offenders institution, also banning him from driving for 14 months.

On driving into PC Hudson, he told him: “You reversed your quad bike such as to strike him, causing him to go under the machine. I don’t suggest you did that deliberately, but it was a consequence of your dangerous driving.

“Thankfully the officer’s injuries were not serious, but it was undoubtedly a very frightening and shocking experience for him.”