A woman who narrowly avoided hitting a police officer as she crashed her BMW into a police car has been sentenced for dangerous driving.
Michaela Copeland, 32, of Weston Street, Bermondsey, was described by a judge as having displayed “utterly disgraceful” behaviour after she refused to stop for police and then accelerated towards an officer when she became stuck in traffic.
The incident occurred in August 2022 while Copeland was driving to Kingston Crown Court. Officers became concerned about her driving and the condition of her car, leading them to attempt to stop her twice in Vauxhall. However, Copeland refused to pull over, a court heard.
Rather than engage in a high-speed chase, police followed Copeland and monitored her from a distance until she became stuck in a traffic jam. When a police officer exited his vehicle and stood in front of her car, Copeland accelerated, narrowly missing the officer and crashing into the police car.
As she was arrested, Copeland put on what a judge described as a “ridiculous display of outrage and distress.”
Copeland, a mother of two, was arrested but denied the charge of dangerous driving. She claimed her behaviour was due to previous traumatic experiences with police.
Last month, a jury at Inner London Crown Court found her guilty of dangerous driving.
Sentencing Copeland on Monday (July 29), Judge Benedict Kelleher said, “Your behaviour was utterly disgraceful.”
In mitigation, the court heard that Copeland had not been in trouble with the police since the incident and was newly pregnant. However, Judge Kelleher noted that Copeland had no proof of her pregnancy and questioned her credibility, saying, “You claim you are pregnant. I don’t believe that. You told the pre-sentence report author that you are not in a relationship. I think it is highly likely that you are attempting to affect the court’s sentence.”
Despite this, Copeland was given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years. She was also disqualified from driving for three years. Judge Kelleher told her she may have faced an immediate prison sentence if she didn’t have two children.
This case highlights the serious consequences of dangerous driving and the importance of police vigilance in maintaining road safety.
