In a shocking event that has shaken the city of Málaga, a British national has been sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison after his reckless actions led to five Civil Guard officers being injured, one of them severely. The man stole a van in Motril, Granada, and led officers on a high-speed chase along the A-7 motorway, despite not having a driving license.
The incident occurred on September 29, 2020, and began when the perpetrator took advantage of a delivery driver leaving his keys in the van. The vehicle belonged to a delivery company, and the driver was making a delivery when the van was stolen.
The high-speed chase began at around 11:15 am, at kilometer 323.100 of the N-340. The perpetrator ignored the orders of the Civil Guard officers at a checkpoint and attempted to run over one of the officers at a high speed. The officer suffered injuries as he fell to the ground to avoid being hit. The perpetrator then drove into oncoming traffic, forcing several drivers to swerve out of his way.
After bypassing the checkpoint, the chase continued along the N-340 and later on the A-7. Over a distance of 48 kilometers, the man tried to evade the police, causing accidents by his reckless driving. The court ruling, viewed by ABC, pointed out that his actions seriously endangered other road users.
The man then tried to ram a Civil Guard patrol car on the A-7, but failed initially. However, near Algarrobo, he managed to hit a vehicle from the Vélez-Málaga Civil Guard twice. The second collision sent the police car hurtling into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by a cement truck.
With the van disabled, the British national attempted to flee on foot but was intercepted by two officers. He put up a strong fight, injuring both officers in the process.
Meanwhile, emergency services were working to rescue the two officers who had been hit by the van and struck by the cement truck. These two officers, one of whom suffered a skull fracture, were the most severely injured. One officer was hospitalized in serious condition for over 100 days and required more than 500 days to recover. His colleague was also hospitalized in serious condition and needed 157 days for recovery.
The High Court of Andalusia (TSJA) upheld the sentence handed down by the First Section of the Provincial Court of Málaga on June 29. The British national was found guilty of two counts of assault on authority, several counts of causing injury, reckless driving, driving without a license, theft of motor vehicles, and resisting arrest. He was also found guilty of three lesser charges of causing injury.
However, the court partially accepted an appeal by the most seriously injured officer. As a result, the defendant will be responsible for the ongoing medical costs incurred by the officer. The costs include annual treatment for his vocal cords and weekly sessions of facial physiotherapy.