Worksop man rammed police car during drunken New Year’s Eve drive

Road policing officers were patrolling Worksop at 9.15pm on New Year’s Eve when they saw a car speed past them. After driving to the right of a keep left bollard, the vehicle then turned the wrong way up a road and nearly hit a member of the public.

This reckless manoeuvre prompted officers to switch on their blue lights and order the man behind the wheel – Charlie Francis – to pull over. Despite this, Francis continued to drive at double the speed limit and was seen to mount a kerb before coming to a halt in Priorswell Road.

Far from coming to a stop, the driver put his vehicle into reverse and rammed the police car behind it multiple times – damaging his vehicle in the process. Francis then sped away and made several more attempts to ram the pursuing officers, who managed to box the vehicle in.

At that point, the 35-year-old got out and tried to flee but didn’t get far before he was caught soon afterwards. A breathalyser test would later show that Francis was nearly three times over the limit for alcohol, while he was also driving while disqualified.

Francis went on to plead guilty to charges of dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without the correct insurance. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing, he was handed a 20-month prison sentence. Francis, of Garside Street, Worksop, was also banned from driving for four years and 10 months. He will then have to retake his driving test at the end of this period.

Inspector John Lees, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Francis’ driving put everyone on the roads nearby that night in considerable danger of harm, including himself.

“After narrowly missing a member of the public, he swerved all over the road, onto the pavement, and then made multiple attempts to ram a police car.

“It is only thanks to sheer luck and the skilled driving of the officers in pursuit that nobody was hurt in this instance, although it could’ve easily been different.

“This incident also provided a clear example of why nobody should ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Francis was nearly three times over the limit when he was breathalysed, and this will clearly have had some effect on his driving and terrible decision making that night.”

Inspector Lees added: “This incident on New Year’s Eve took place while our officers were carrying out patrols as part of a force-led campaign cracking down on drink and drug-driving.

“In total more than 190 drivers were investigated for these offences by Nottinghamshire Police as part of the ‘A Deadly Mix’ campaign, which ran between December 1 and January 1. Francis’ actions that night provided a good example of exactly why campaigns like this, and the patrols that come as part of it to detect this behaviour, are so important.”