Police officer thought he was going to die as Abergavenny drink-driver Scott Wall ran him over

The horrified PC Adam Hollings feared he was going to die when Scott Wall ran him over during his getaway as he tried to arrest him.

The brave officer was forced to jump out of the way of the defendant’s path after spotting the disqualified driver in his Vauxhall Astra.

Prosecutor David Pugh told how PC Hollings believed he was going to be killed when Wall reversed over him last month in a “terrifying” ordeal.

The policeman and a colleague were in plain-clothes in an unmarked car when they saw him driving erratically through Abergavenny.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the pair followed him as he made his way to his mother’s house in St Teilo's Road.

They knew the defendant, who has 22 previous convictions for 43 offences, was banned and had a history of drink and drug-driving.

After he pulled up outside his mum’s home, the police tried to block him in.

When Wall saw them, he started to speed off over a neighbour’s driveway and reversed into PC Hollings as he ran from his car to try and prevent his escape.

Mr Pugh read the victim impact statement prepared by the policeman, who has been an officer for 14 years, in which he relived his terror.

PC Hollings said: “The sound of the revved engine coupled with the tyres screeching and my colleague shouting for me to get out of the way were terrifying.

“I was lucky I didn’t go under the car or suffer serious injuries.”

He added: “I have known the defendant since we were teenagers – he knew I was a police officer.

“The car flew at me. I jumped out of the way. I had no idea if it was about to hit me. In that split second, I didn’t know if I was about to die. It was a scary moment.

“I was lucky not to have been killed. There was a moment when I was with my kids (after the incident) when I wondered if the job I do was worth risking my children having to one day deal with their father not come home.

“I come to work to help people and catch criminals. I don’t expect to be driven at in a car or to be seriously hurt or killed.”

PC Hollings was lucky to escape with just cuts to his knees.

Wall managed to flee but was arrested later that day at a house in the town’s Underhill Crescent where officers said he “smelt of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet”.

The defendant, who wept throughout the proceedings, was breathalysed and gave a reading of 41mg per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal driving limit is 35mg.

Wall, 31, of St Teilo's Road, Abergavenny, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol and driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance.

Mr Pugh said the defendant had four previous convictions for driving whilst being unfit through either alcohol or drugs, driving whilst disqualified and had been before the courts twice for dangerous driving.

Suzanne Payne, mitigating, said: “It is a serious offence and I don’t wish to diminish it, but it’s not the worst kind of dangerous driving that comes before the courts.”

She said her client, who is a father, was working full-time as groundsman just before the offences but had to go on sick leave.

Miss Payne added: “He has drug and alcohol problems and wrongly uses them as a crutch during the difficult times of his life.”

The Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Eleri Rees, told Wall: “If you carry on like this, not only will somebody be seriously injured but somebody will be killed.

“You have a complete contempt for road users and, on this occasion, you had complete contempt for police officers.”

She jailed Wall for 14 months. The maximum prison sentence for dangerous driving is two years and the judge had to reduce the tariff by a third because of the defendant’s guilty plea at the first opportunity.

He was banned from driving for four years and seven months and must sit an extended test before getting behind the wheel again.

There was also a deprivation order to take the Astra off him and Wall must pay a victim surcharge.

Outside the court, PC Hollings, Abergavenny ward manager, said: “This was a very serious incident, in which myself and my colleague were trying to protect the public from a dangerous individual.

“I was lucky not to have been seriously hurt and was glad to have been able to arrest the offender quickly, so he couldn’t put anyone else in danger.

“The Abergavenny Neighbourhood Policing Team continue to target offenders like this and would urge the public to report any concerns or information about similar activity and offenders to us via 101, or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”