Two police officers were injured after a driver made off during a stop and search, a court has heard.
Harry MacKenney, 33, had allegedly refused to comply with officers after he was pulled over in Penge, south-east London, on Saturday, February 22, last year.
As he drove away, one of the officers was knocked over and the other was shoved out of the moving vehicle and fell into the road, the Old Bailey heard.
The pair were taken to hospital where they were treated for cuts and bruises.
Opening Mackenney’s Old Bailey trial on Monday, prosecutor Philip Stott told how officers had received information earlier that day about suspected drug dealing in the area.
They were told about two vehicles thought to be involved, one of which was a black VW Passat registered to the defendant.
In addition, they were wrongly informed Mackenney had previous convictions for drugs when in fact he is a man of good character, jurors were told.
Pc Matthew Richardson and Pc Melanie Rabot were in a marked police minibus that came across the Passat at about 11pm.
After stopping the vehicle, Pc Richardson secured a handcuff to MacKenney’s right wrist and explained he was detaining him under the Misuse of Drugs Act in order to search him.
The defendant refused to remove his seatbelt and the situation escalated into a “physical struggle”, Mr Stott said.
Meanwhile, Pc Rabot had gone round to the passenger door and leaned in to try to unclip the seatbelt, jurors heard.
Mr Stott told jurors: “Mr Mackenney drove the car forward. Pc Richardson was struck by the car as it drove away.
“Pc Rabot was still leaning in as it pulled forward. She had to pull her legs into the car to stop her falling out.
“She remembers him swerving the car at speed. She shouted at him to stop the car but he responded by shouting ‘If you don’t get out of the f****** car, I’ll kill you.’
“The car slowed, and Mr Mackenney pushed Pc Rabot in the chest hard enough that it caused her to fall from the vehicle while it was still moving. At this point, she will tell you, she feared for her life.”
Pc Rabot was briefly knocked unconscious, the court heard.
The car was driven away at speed as her colleagues rushed to help the prone officer.
Jurors were shown graphic footage of the incident from officers’ body worn video cameras.
In the video, Mackenney can be heard swearing, telling the officers to get off him, and saying he was working.
As Mackenney drives away, the female officer screams.
When she falls from the vehicle and into the road, there are shouts of “Mel, Mel” as colleagues rush to help.
One of them reports back: “We have got a car making off. We have got two officers hurt.”
The court heard police went to the defendant’s home but he was not there.
Mackenney was arrested after going to Lewisham Police Station early the next morning.
He faces two charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one offence of dangerous driving.
Mr Stott told jurors: “Was his driving dangerous? Well, he drove into Pc Richardson knocking him over, and caused Pc Rabot to fall from the vehicle ending up unconscious in the road. That, I suggest, was plainly dangerous.”
Mackenney, of Parnham Close, Bromley, south-east London, denies the charges against him and the Old Bailey trial continues.
