Malaga court suspends six-year prison sentence of motorcyclist who rammed police officer

The incident happened on 14 July 2023. At around 6.30pm, a police patrol caught the defendant while he was selling two bags of heroin to another individual at a petrol station on Avenida Valle-Inclán.

The police ordered him to stop, but the defendant, far from obeying, got on his motorbike and fled the scene.

According to the ruling, he accelerated abruptly and rammed a police officer with his vehicle, causing him minor injuries that led to superficial abrasions and pain in his left elbow.

A chase ensued. The police switched on their sirens to get the defendant to stop the vehicle. The motorcyclist, however, continued to drive at high speed and in the wrong direction along Carril del Ciprés, forcing several drivers to brake sharply to avoid a collision, "endangering road users", as the court document states.

The chase continued for several kilometres without the police losing sight of him. At one point, the man dismounted from his motorbike and attempted to continue his escape on foot, at which point he was caught by an officer. He put up resistance and caused the officer injuries to his lower back.

Despite his hostile and defiant behaviour, the defendant managed to break free and take refuge in a nearby house, whose inhabitants let him inside.

During the chase, the defendant lost the keys to his motorbike and a shoulder bag, both of which the police recovered. Inside, they found a small bag of cocaine ready for sale.

The defendant fully admitted the facts and reached a plea agreement with the public prosecution, which amended both its statement of provisional findings and the sentence sought.

The sentence consisted of a fine of 1,800 euros for the offence of resisting a public official and two further fines of 300 euros each for two minor offences of causing bodily harm.

The court also sentenced him to six months in prison for an offence against road safety and banned him from driving motor vehicles for one year and one day.

The court subsequently suspended the prison sentence on condition that the defendant does not reoffend within a period of three years. The ruling also requires him to pay the costs of the proceedings.

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