Moped-riding drug dealer ran down West Yorkshire officer to escape a week after ramming police car

Officers were patrolling the South Kirkby area on the afternoon of October 12 in response to reports of drug dealing and illegal motorbike riding, when they spotted a suspicious group on bikes on Wentworth Drive.

When they got out to challenge them, Daniel Swaincott turned his moped and drove at one of the officers, knocking him off his feet. Body-worn camera footage of the incident was played to Leeds Crown Court. The officer was not seriously injured and Swaincott was quickly detained. He was found to have more than 60 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin on him and £522 in cash.

Swaincott, of Beech Street, South Elmsall, gave a no-comment interview but did state he was not aiming for the officer and simply trying to get away. But days before, 34-year-old Swaincott was involved in a low-speed chase when police tried to pull him over in South Elmsall while he was behind the wheel of a white Skoda Octavia, fitted with false registration plates.

Dash-cam footage played to the court showed the Skoda stopping in a backstreet, before reversing and ramming the front of the police vehicle. The two officers in the car suffered minor injuries, but were able to arrest Swaincott. He had a man bag containing 20 wraps of cocaine, with 16 more found in the centre console of the car. He also had £982 in cash.

He has 13 previous convictions for 23 offences, but none for drugs matters. However, he has previous driving convictions. He admitted two counts of dealing in cocaine, one of dealing in heroin, assault on an emergency worker and dangerous driving.

A probation report suggested the father-of-two had run up a debt from his own drug use, and threats were made against his family forcing him to sell drugs. But Judge Kate Rayfield was not happy with the lack of information about this debt, and whether he was a casual drug user or a serious addict.

She adjourned the case until January 17 when a Newton hearing will take place to ascertain the credibility of Swaincott’s debt claims. He was remanded in custody until then.