Hertfordshire man who reversed into Met Police officer to avoid being arrested jailed

A man who seriously injured a Met Police officer when he reversed into him to avoid being arrested has been jailed for four years.

On July 1, 2022, Inspector Tony McGovern, from the Violent Crime Taskforce, was on a motorcycle patrol in Haringey when he became aware of a car at the junction of Upton Road and Woolmer Road.

The officer became suspicious of how the driver, Joseph Ward, 24, was behaving, and spoke to him through his driver’s side window after the car came to a stop.

Ward then suddenly pulled forward and “reverse-rammed” into McGovern, before driving away quickly.

The officer called for urgent assistance from colleague and he was taken to hospital with injuries to his legs, shoulders and back.

“I have been a police officer for 18 years and I never expected to be deliberately rammed off my motorbike in such a violent and aggressive act,” Inspector McGovern said.

“I continue to recover from the injuries I suffered that day, however I remain determined to serve the people of London and remove violent and dangerous offenders from the streets.”

An urgent investigation was launched and Ward was identified as the driver. Officers discovered he was already wanted for an offence on June 23, when he posed as a police officer and demanded money from another driver.

Following a complex manhunt, Ward was later arrested in Letchworth in Hertfordshire, on July 20.

Detectives later linked him to two other offences, including on July 5 when he was involved in a collision in Crouch Hill, and one on July 6, where he failed to stop for police in Enfield and damaged two police cars.

Ward was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on February 1, 2023 – he pled guilty to 14 offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, impersonating a police officer, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

Detective Chief Superintendent Lee Hill, who leads the Violent Crime Taskforce, said: “Joseph Ward is a dangerous man and I have no doubt that he would have gone on to commit more offences.

“I am pleased that he has received a custodial sentence and I praise Tony for his outstanding bravery.

“Our officers work tirelessly to protect the public from violent crime and we will never tolerate any form of assault on emergency workers, whose job it is to protect the public.”