A MAN who was stopped for erratic driving drove off after being flagged down, causing a female police officer to be hit by his car door, a court heard.

As Karl Jones, 30, accelerated away his car door, which was open, swung back and hit the female officer, Stroud Magistrates’ Court heard on Wednesday.

The court heard that Jones, of Longfield, Quedgeley, at 7.40pm on Wednesday, March 26, Jones was stopped by a female police officer after being observed driving in an erratic manner.

Jones was driving in Gloucester, before being pulled over in Victoria Street where the incident happened.

Kirsty Gordan-Cleaver, defending, told the court that the defendant did not realise that the WPC was a police officer as he was ‘on the run’ from people and believed the officer was after him.

Graham Dono, prosecuting, told the court that in an interview with the police, Jones said: “I do not have to stop for no one.”

Jones pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and assaulting a police officer and received a 16 week prison sentence.