Downpatrick man run over by police car: I was in a lot of pain

The pedestrian knocked down by an armoured police vehicle during an arson incident in Co Down has relived the moment the car reversed over the top of him, fracturing his leg.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Jan 2016, 15:30 BST
Updated 26th Jan 2016, 15:34 BST
The police had attended an arson incident in the Meadowlands estate in DownpatrickThe police had attended an arson incident in the Meadowlands estate in Downpatrick
The police had attended an arson incident in the Meadowlands estate in Downpatrick

Gary Smyth was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of serving PSNI officer John Wright at Downpatrick Crown Court.

Constable Wright, 42, with an address given as c/o Downpatrick PSNI station, denies a single charge of careless driving by causing grievous bodily injury to Mr Smyth in the Meadowlands estate, Downpatrick on August 31, 2014.

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In the witness box yesterday, Mr Smyth said that on the day of Sunday, August 31, 2014, he had spent the afternoon drinking in two Downpatrick bars before heading back to his house in Meadowlands around 6pm.

He told the jury of five women and seven men that he fell asleep and that around 10.40pm he was woken by banging on his front door and said it was a policeman and his nephew Conor Smyth.

“I was told that I had to leave the premises as there was a fire next door to me.

“I went down towards my sister’s house but I came back because I realised that I had left a bit of money in the house and I tried to get back in but I didn’t get as far as my house as I was stopped by a policewoman.

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“The policewoman shoved me down the steps towards the car park and I had to grab on to the railings. I got to the bottom of the steps and turned left towards my mum’s house.’’

He told prosecution lawyer Laura Ivers that he was the only person walking in the car park, which had several fire engines and police cars parked up.

“I didn’t get to my mum’s house,’’ added Mr Smyth. “I was walking along towards her house when something collided into me from behind and I went down and my head banged on to the ground.

“I was lying there on my left side with my head up and then I saw a car starting to reverse towards me and I said to myself: ‘Oh ‘F’, not again’ and that’s when I fell on my back.

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“Then the back wheels of the car ran over my leg. I was in a lot of pain. I was bruised from the top of my leg to my toes.’’

Under cross-examination by a defence barrister, Mr Smyth denied that he had not shown due care for the risk to his own life by trying to get back into his house past a burning property to collect some money.

Asked why he didn’t walk across a grass bank to his mother’s house, he said: “I don’t know. I just wanted to get to my ma’s house. I walked towards the pathway to her house. That was my focus.’’

At hearing.

Related topics:Downpatrick