A CWMBRAN man who was banned from driving after he drove towards a police officer and failed to stop had his appeal against his conviction and sentence rejected.

Deckan Creighton, aged 24, of Pontnewynydd Walk, appeared before Judge Ian Murphy QC and two of his colleagues at Newport Crown Court.

In November last year, Creighton pleaded guilty to one count of failing to stop and was also found guilty of dangerous driving at Newport Magistrates’ Court.

He was given a 12-month community order, told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, told to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £60, and was disqualified from driving for one year.

The crown court heard how Sergeant Ian Green, of Gwent Police, was walking past a parked blue Vauxhall Insignia with his PCSO colleague along Trussel Road in Pontnewydd on September 4 last year.

As they walked, the latter said he could smell cannabis coming from the car.

Sgt Green told the court he turned around and approached the car, which had now pulled out, standing a few yards in front of it and holding out his right hand asking the car to stop.

At this point, Sgt Green said, Creighton looked him “in the face” and continued driving towards him at a speed of five to 10mph, before making contact with his hands and legs.

It was then Sgt Green jumped out of the way of the car, which accelerated out of sight.

Giving evidence, Creighton claimed it was Sgt Green who had jumped in front of the car and it was he who had instigated contact. Creighton said he had driven off because he was “scared” and “nervous”.

Thomas Roberts, defending, said there had been some “significant inconsistencies” in evidence given by the police officers.

But Judge Murphy QC rejected the appeal, saying: “We found the prosecution’s evidence, in this particular case, compelling.”

He added: “There was, in effect, a face-off between the police officer stood in the road and the defendant. [Creighton] chose to drive at Sgt Green, albeit slowly, and Sgt Green was forced to leap to safety.”

Creighton was told he would pay a further £520 in costs as a result of his appeal.