Woman sentenced after driving car at traffic warden

A woman from Rochdale who drove her car into a Civil Enforcement Officer (Traffic Warden), leaving him with leg injuries after he was thrown on to the bonnet of her car, has been sentenced.

Samena Akhtar, 22, of Abott Street, pleaded guilty to the incident and was given a 12 week suspended sentence, 100 hours community service and disqualified from driving for twelve months in a court hearing at Rochdale Magistrates Court.

The incident involved a Civil Enforcement Officer from NSL Limited, who supply officers to the Impact Partnership for parking enforcement in Rochdale. 

The Civil Enforcement Officer was in Yorkshire Street when he noticed a car parked in a loading bay, after initially requesting the driver to move on he returned to find she had not moved. 

The Officer said: “I always try to work with drivers and had requested for her to move on. On returning to still find the car in the loading bay, I moved towards it again and gestured for the driver to move on for a second time.

“At this point, she stuck her middle finger up at me and before I knew it, I was on the bonnet of the vehicle, which carried me at least three car lengths.

“As I fell off, the driver swore so loudly that it could be heard clearly, even though her windows were closed, and drove the car at me again. It was all very, very frightening.”

Rochdale Town Centre Inspector and Local Authority Liaison Officer, Inspector Lin Houldershaw from Greater Manchester Police said: “No person should be put at risk by simply performing his or her duty.

"We are pleased that the prosecution case supported the Civil Enforcement Officers and that the magistrates took a similar view when passing sentence.”