Van driver rammed police car during chase

A man has been given a suspended jail sentence and banned from driving for two years after repeatedly ramming a police car during a chase.

George Bamsey, 26, of Tudor Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday to 16 months in prison for dangerous driving and a string of other offences.

He was also given a four-month sentence for handling stolen goods, with both of the consecutive sentences suspended for two years.

The incident happened while Lincolnshire Police was chasing two vans on the A52 at Swaton, near Sleaford.

During the early hours of 28 July last year, police caught up with the vans – a Ford Transit and a Vauxhall Vivaro.

Both drivers turned off the A52 and the Transit van overtook the Vivaro before speeding off.

Bamsey, who was driving the Transit, suddenly stopped and reversed into the police car three times, before driving off at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone.

Later, he tried to ram the police car a further four times before he crashed.

The officers found copper piping and cabling in the van, which had been stolen from a building site in Cambridgeshire.

Bamsey pleaded guilty to failing to stop, handling stolen goods, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, causing more than £10,000-worth of damage to a police car, dangerous driving and using false plates.

PC Chris Windsor-Beck, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "This shows our officers are on patrol every day and night all year round – putting themselves in danger to keep people and property safe."

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