A WREXHAM man with “an appalling history of offending” has been jailed after he used a motorbike as a weapon while evading the clutches of a police officer.

Nathan Lee Scott, 28, of Archers Way in Caia Park, was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison, after the incident which left PC Emma Birrell with injuries so serious she was unable to return to active duty for more than seven months.

Scott also admitted to separate charges in relation to the possession and production of cannabis, after a police raid at his partner’s home.

It was around 10.30am on June 18 last year when North Wales Police were alerted to reports of anti-social behaviour by the rider of a yellow motocross bike in the Queensway area.

Scott was observed on CCTV entering the small carpark of an industrial unit and minutes later, a police vehicle arrived at the scene.

While partially blocking the entrance to the site, PC Birrell exited the police car and shouted at Scott to stop, but he ignored her instruction and instead accelerated towards her, kicking out as she attempted to grab him.

The force of the impact caused the officer to be thrown backwards, resulting in her body armour being ripped off.

Scott managed to flee the scene, travelling at speeds of up to 45mph as he mounted the curb and despite being chased by the officers, evaded capture for several months.

Matthew Dunford, prosecuting, told Mold Crown Court how PC Birrell was left with significant pain and numbness in her arm while there had also been initial concerns that she had suffered spinal damage.

She required two weeks off work and went through periods of intense rehabilitation and when she did return, it was only on the basis that she carried out light duties.

In a victim personal statement, the officer said how she had undertaken significant amounts of physio, simply to resume to a normal lifestyle.

The months working on light duties also had a financial impact as she missed out on payments for working unsociable hours and overtime.

She went on to say that she had not join the force to be in such a role and when she returned to active duties in January of this year, she felt the time away had set her career back.

Mr Dunford also told the court how police had executed a search warrant at an address in St Margaret’s Way in Wrexham on November 12, which was the home of Scott’s partner and their children.

While searching the property, police found more than 300 grammes of herbal cannabis in various locations around the house, which Scott stayed at regularly because it was where his children lived with their mother.

The cannabis was in bags, some of which were marked with different names, which Mr Dunford said was an indication of the different strengths of the class B drug.

A set of scales with traces of the green herb on them was also found and when officers searched the garage, they found equipment consistent with the cultivation of the drug, including a foil lined tent, fertilizer and other growing aids.

Only stalks of plants remained, but it seemed clear that the cannabis found had been grown in the garage.

The value of the cannabis was said to be worth £3,113, which along with the quantity found was according to Mr Dunford, consistent with an amount to ensure its onwards supply.

Scott had many previous convictions, and back in May 2019 was handed a community order after being caught driving whilst disqualified on three separate occasions.

This meant that when he was driving the motorbike and using it as a weapon against PC Birrell just one month later, it represented his fourth offence of this type.

Scott also has previous convictions for aggravated vehicle taking, taking a vehicle without consent, affray and burglary.

Andrew Green, defending, said that his client’s behaviour on that day in June had been unlawful, reckless and stupid and that his actions had been so dangerous it had resulted in a police officer being injured.

He was subject of a community order at the time, having had previous driving convictions, but Mr Green went on to say that he didn’t believe Scott had deliberately used the motorbike as a weapon, but instead it being a case of him simply trying to escape.

He accepted the seriousness of the incident however and his best mitigation were his guilty pleas.

In relation to the cannabis that had been found at his partner’s address, Mr Green said there was no mystery in relation to that as Scott had a “psychological addiction” to the drug that went back many years. The yield of the plant had already taken place and a very significant part of the cannabis found was intended for his own personal use.

Mr Green went on to say that the passage of time since the incident had enabled the defendant to positively engage with the probation service and he had since been compliant with the community order that had been made.

He ordered him to serve 12 months each for the charges of dangerous driving and assaulting an emergency worker, with those sentences to be served concurrently. He received three months for the production of cannabis charge and three months for the offence of driving while disqualified, which will be served consecutively.

There was no separate penalty for the possession of cannabis and Scott was also banned from driving for a period of two years, with Judge Parry adding an additional nine months to that, which will ensure he was to adhere to the full two year ban.