An Onchan man has been fined £1,000 and had his driving licence endorsed with seven points after failing to stop when he had a policeman hanging out of his car window.
Steven Alan Carridge, of Summerhill Road, was originally charged with dangerous driving but successfully contested that charge at a trial.
He was found guilty of driving without due care and attention and also ordered to pay £500 court costs.
On an earlier court appearance Carridge had pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and for that offence he was fined £250, bringing his total penalty to £1,750.
The court heard how, on December 16, police followed Carridge, who was driving a Peugeot on Douglas promenade, as they thought he was exceeding the speed limit.
The Peugeot turned onto Empress Drive where it stopped suddenly, blocking the road.
An officer spoke to Clarridge and, due to information received, suspected that he may have cannabis on him.
After arguing with the police about paperwork Carridge was said to have got back into the Peugeot and started the engine.
Carridge, 33, said: ‘I’m not under arrest so I’m going.’
He drove off and the officer leaned into the car and grabbed the keys.
Carridge accelerated up the road with the policeman still leaning inside the car holding onto the keys and being dragged along for about 10 metres, before the key broke and the officer fell away from the car.
He was said to have suffered only minor injuries.
Carridge drove away but shortly afterwards was located by police in the car in an alleyway.
He was eventually boxed in by two police cars and arrested.
When searched at police headquarters Carridge was found to have cannabis worth £15.87 hidden between his buttocks.
Carridge handed in a prepared statement saying that he confirmed with the officer that he was not under arrest so he felt he was free to leave.
He said that he had asked the second officer, in front of the car, to ‘get out of the way’ and she had done so.
Defence advocate Jim Travers said that despite a long list of previous convictions there had been none since 2013 and that had since been voluntarily working for a local cancer charity and running his own business.
Deemster Alastair Montgomerie said: ‘The jury did not find either that the constable was leaning into the window when you set of or that the second officer had to jump out of the way otherwise you would have been guilty of dangerous driving. You failed to stop after the officer came in through the window or when he went back out. You kept on driving.’
