A father-of-three who drove a high power BMW at a woman cop - while he had a three-year-old child in the back - was jailed for 27 months today.
James Fullarton, 40, was being spoken to by officers outside a day nursery in Larbert, Stirlingshire, having just collected the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Suddenly he shouted "f*** this", Falkirk Sheriff Court was told.
He then reversed his BMW 330D M Sport - which has a top speed of 155 miles per hour - before revving the engine driving and driving towards PC Nicole Bellamy, who was standing nearby speaking on the radio to police control.
Prosecutor Kristina Kelly said: "He had clear direct eye sight of PC Bellamy. He made no attempt to brake or manoeuvre around her. He continued to accelerate and drove directly towards her.
"She had to take evasive action to move out of the way of the car which had started to pick up significant speed.
"If she had been struck, she would have been injured."
Fullarton took off but several police cars caught up with him in a car park at Foundry Loan, Larbert, where the police vehicles boxed him in at a turning circle.
Another female officer, PC Suzie Clark, stood in front of his car and told him to get out.
He refused, however, and revved his engine repeatedly, driving towards her and causing her to put her hands out in front of her "to brace for impact".
He braked at the last minute, just as PC Clark's hand came into contact with the car bonnet.
He made a further attempt to drive off, but was unable to escape and was arrested.
The three-year-old child was found still in her car seat, and taken out by police and placed safely in a police car.
Fullarton, of Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire, pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting police by driving at the female officers.
The court heard that police had wanted to speak to Fullarton after receiving a report that he had earlier stopped his car in the middle of the road and was shouting at his own partner and passers-by.
The incident began at about 1.50 pm on June 11th last year (2021)
Solicitor Frank Moore, defending, said Fullarton had been "extremely foolish".
He said in the case of PC Bellamy, "she moved out of the way, and it's not as if he then swerved to strike her".
Imposing the 27 month jail term, Sheriff Keith O'Mahony told Fullarton: "Having regard to the nature of these offences, there's no alternative to a custodial disposal."
