I panicked, runaway policeman tells court

A policeman who ran away from a fellow officer said not immediately telling police of his mistake was the worst decision he had ever made.

Daniel Adams, who worked as a response officer in Rochdale, is accused of running away from a traffic officer after dumping his car and two female passengers in Saddleworth Cemetery car park last September.

Adams pleaded not guilty at a previous hearing of obstructing a police officer.

On the second day of his trial in Stockport, Adams said he regretted not contacting police for almost five hours.

The 21-year-old, who is on restricted duties, said: “With hindsight, it was the worst decision I’ve made that I will live to regret.

“I was in such as state of panic and couldn’t make any sense.

“I didn’t realise the consequences of not going to the police straight away or that is what I would have done.”

Adams said that three weeks before the incident, a friend warned him that two men from Limeside area were looking for him and had made threats towards him.

Adams said he remembered the conversation when he was driving along Gellfield Lane at 11.50pm in his silver VW Polo on September 13 and spotted headlights following him.

PC Jon Scott, from the road-policing unit at Chadderton, was following the vehicle in his marked police car after spotting it turning into Gellfield Lane from Church Lane, in Uppermill.

Adams said he could not tell what the vehicle was so panicked , stopped the vehicle and ran back to the Church Inn, where he had spent the evening with friends.

Adams denied turning to face the officer after getting out of his car or looking back as he was running off, and he denied seeing any flashing blue police lights, which had been activated after both cars stopped. He said he only realised it was a police car when he was near the pub and spotted blue lights in the distance.

The pub landlord told Adams police were looking for him so he waited at the pub for 20 minutes, believing officers would return, before leaving. It was 4.45am when friends drove him to Uppermill police station and called the GMP switchboard. He was arrested at home at 5.08am.

Katie Jones, defending, said Adams had acted foolishly and had panicked, but was not trying to evade arrest. She said: “He certainly didn’t act wisely after the event. People who panic don’t necessarily act wisely.

“That may well be the explanation, not the most satisfactory, but he has given evidence in a very clear and honest way.”

She added that prosecution had not proved all the elements of their case and asked the court to acquit Adams of the charges.

The trial was halted for legal discussions and was adjourned to 31 March.