Tottenham police crash: Driver found guilty of mowing down armed Pc in north London

A series of high-profile incidents over the past 18 months has led to calls for longer sentences for those who attack police officers in the course of their duty
Police at the scene
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A driver is facing jail after being convicted of deliberately mowing down an armed police officer in north London.

Aydin Altun, 26, was being arrested at gunpoint on October 29 in Tottenham when he ploughed his Mercedes into Pc Lewis Crowder.

Pc Crowder and two of his colleagues in the firearms unit had stopped the vehicle following an investigation into a shooting the previous evening. He had his semi-automatic rifle raised and was shouting “armed police, armed police, show me your hands, show me your hands” when Altun accelerated into him.

The officer clung onto the bonnet for a split second before being thrown off – missing concrete bollards and a bus stop by inches.

At Altun’s trial, the Old Bailey heard the Pc Crowder was left in considerable pain and very dazed as he lapsed in and out of consciousness.

He was taken to hospital but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, possibly protected by the armour worn by police marksmen.

After almost 15 hours of deliberations, Altun, from Tottenham, was cleared of attempted murder by the jury but convicted of a lesser charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm by a majority verdict of 10 to two.

He was also cleared of possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate in connection with the shooting the previous evening.

Christopher Birtham, part of Altun’s defence team, said Altun had “panicked and made the wrong decision” and that Pc Crowder’s death or serious injury was not a “necessary or a desirable outcome” for the defendant.

He added that the officers had intended to “shock the subject into submission” by aiming their weapons at Altun.

“Perhaps that’s usually what that (tactic) does but it’s not guaranteed to work, and that’s the risk of using an extreme level of force and directing a firearm at somebody,” Mr Birtham said.

Croydon Custody Centre shooting - In pictures

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The defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving ahead of his trial.

He was tried alongside his mother Sutan Altun, 54, and his sister, Hanim Altun, 24, who were accused of helping to cover up his crime.

It was claimed they both told the police that the Mercedes – which was registered in the name of Sutan Altun’s husband who was in Turkey at the time – had been stolen. They were both cleared of one count of perverting the course of justice.

Altun is due to be sentenced on Friday at 10am.

A series of high-profile incidents over the past 18 months has led to calls for longer sentences for those who attack police officers in the course of their duty.

Pc Andrew Harper was killed in Berkshire last August when his legs became entangled in a tow strap attached to a car driven by three teenagers suspected of burglary. His widow Lissie has been campaigning for the introduction of “Harper’s Law” which would see those who kill emergency workers jailed for life.

On September 25 of this year, Sergeant Matt Ratana was shot dead by a handcuffed suspect at Croydon Custody Centre.

A female police officer was stabbed in the abdomen on October 4 this year after confronting two teenagers suspected of robbing a grocery store in Pimlico. She was taken to hospital but was discharged within 24 hours, the Met Police said.

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