Driver facing jail after deliberately mowing down an armed police officer in Mercedes
The officer told the court: "I remember being scared for my life, I thought I was going to die."
Monday 12 October 2020 19:34, UK
A man who drove a Mercedes at a police officer to try and escape arrest has been found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Aydin Altun, 26, of Tottenham, north London, was convicted at the Old Bailey on Monday and will be sentenced on Friday.
CCTV shows the moment PC Lewis Crowder runs in front of Altun's black Mercedes with his gun in his hand in Tottenham on 29 October last year.
Despite shouts of "armed police, show me your hands", the footage shows Altun speeding towards the officer, throwing him onto the bonnet.
The court heard how the officer was left clinging to the vehicle while Altun accelerated, zig-zagging across the road at speed in an attempt to throw him off.
After a few seconds, the policeman is seen somersaulting off the car and onto the pavement.
He was knocked unconscious and suffered "significant" cuts and grazing to his head, elbow, knuckles and hands. PC Crowder was taken to hospital but was later discharged.
The officer told Altun's trial: "I remember being scared for my life, I thought I was going to die. I remember thinking if this car was going to crash, I was going to die."
Altun drove off and abandoned the car before officers found it nearby - with the injured policeman's mobile phone still wedged between the bonnet and the windscreen.
The 26-year-old was being pursued by police because a black Mercedes was seen leaving the scene of a suspected shooting in nearby Haringey the day before, the force said.
He was identified as a suspect and police launched a manhunt, before he handed himself in to Edmonton police station in north London the next day.
Altun was cleared of attempted murder but convicted of a lesser charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm by the jury on a majority verdict of 10 to two after 14 hours and 49 minutes of deliberations.
His mother Sultan, 54, and sister Hanim, 24, were on trial with him for perverting the course of justice, but were found not guilty.
At the time of the offence, four men, two aged 17, one 18 and one 19, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender but were released with no further action.
Speaking after Monday's hearing, Assistant Met Police Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: "We're just weeks on from the awful killing of Sergeant Matt Ratana, I'm pleased that a dangerous criminal who drove at an officer and put his life in danger has been convicted.
"We do not tolerate any violence towards our officers and we relentlessly pursue anyone assaulting our officers to bring them to justice."