Chorley officers seriously injured when intoxicated driver struck them after an 18 hour drug and booze binge

Shaun Sergeant, 39, of Jedburgh Avenue, Bolton, is starting a two year and eight month sentence after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving after an 18 hour alcohol and cocaine binge, and was even swigging vodka during the pursuit, Preston Crown Court heard.

PC Benson was left in agony on the ground with a double fracture to his arm, while his colleague, a police van driver, suffered painful whiplash injuries.

Prosecuting, David Clarke said on February 18 police began following a Citroen Berlingo van on Sheep Hill Lane, at around 12.45am and added: " The only reason they took any notice is that one of the headlights was not illuminated."The officers decided to follow but fairly shortly after that the vehicle sped up for no reason and started to take a number of left turns."

Sickening dashcam footage was played to the court showing the collision and moments before it.

It shows Sergeant mounting the grass verge of a roundabout, slowing to allow his female passenger to get out, and driving on the wrong side of the road at high speed.

He is seen hurling a portable heater out of the van, going the wrong way around the roundabout, speeding through red lights, and reaching 70mph on the A6.

After hitting the stinger close to the junction of Preston Road and Dawson Lane in Whittle-le-Woods, the car steered sharply into a stationary police van, shunting it and striking PC Benson, who was thrown three metres from the van.

Sergeant got out and tried to run but was caught by officers.

A road closure was put in place on the A6 Preston Road between School Brow and Dawson Lane while emergency services attended the scene, and PC Benson was taken to hospital.

Tests four hours after the accident showed Sergeant was 16 times permitted cocaine level and two and half times the legal alcohol limit

He gave no comment in the interview.

PC Benson was only in his third operational week, having joined the force seven months earlier.

In a statement he revealed he had to have plates inserted into his arm during surgery.

He said he was "left angry and frustrated by what had happened" as it caused a temporary halting to his career, problems looking after his baby, and he was not permitted to drive.

The court heard his colleague, who had to take two months off work with neck pain, was due to take half term leave a day later but had to cancel many plans she had made with her children, and had to be helped by her elderly mum.

Defending, Daniel Prowse said Sergeant was deeply remorseful, adding: " He had that night been drinking at a friend's house. He was very upset at the time because his long term relationship had failed.

"He'd been made homeless."

He told the court in the early hours a female friend called Sergeant reporting her boyfriend was becoming violent and asking him to come and collect her, and he had picked her up despite his state.

He said Sergeant made a "catastrophic decision not to stop" because he panicked.

Judge David Potter told Sergeants his actions were 'crazy' and remarked the officers were fortunate not to have received catastrophic injuries given Sergeant's speed.

He described his toxicology tests and said: "That indicates the level of intoxication you were under when you took the decision - consciously and deliberately - to go and pick up someone and drive them home

"It's no doubt as a result of your substantial intoxication that night that when the police decided to pull you over, you, because you knew you were so drunk, decided to speed away.

"Over the course of the next many minutes you had many opportunities to stop and give up this futile escape from the police officers.

"For reason I accept you cannot fully explain, you steered that vehicle into collision with that police van."

Banning him for three years and four months he added: "It put both of their careers at serious risk of being jeopardised and they will continue to suffer the consequences of your actions for many months to come."

Chief Insp Chris Abbott said: "This was a really distressing incident for the officers involved who were simply going about their role of keeping the public safe. No-one should expect to be injured at work but Sergeant’s reckless actions have resulted in a lasting and significant impact on this officer’s life and career and he is still unable to return to work because of his injury.

“Behaviour such as this will simply not be tolerated and we will always seek to arrest and put people before the courts.”