Dog catches van driver who rammed police car

Rambo the police dog is a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois

A van driver who rammed a police car as he tried to escape capture before being tracked down by a police dog has been sentenced.

Nottinghamshire Police said Luke Monk was spotted by officers driving at speeds above 90mph (144km/h) on the M1 in the early hours of 12 October.

He drove into a residential area and abandoned the cloned Ford Transit but was chased down by police dog Rambo.

The 36-year-old received a suspended sentence at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday.

Luke Monk reversed his van into a police car on a railway bridge near Stapleford

Police said Monk, of Hall Drive, Sandiacre, Derbyshire had pulled off at junction 26 and appeared to be complying with a controlled stop when he sped forward and rammed a marked police car, before reversing into it.

He drove off towards Nottingham, reaching speeds of about 80mph (128km/h) in residential areas, eventually getting out of the car, when he was chased down by Rambo, despite Monk throwing a wheelie bin in his direction.

The force said he had dangerously overtaken cars and switched his van's lights off in a bid to avoid detection, before being abusive to officers after his arrest.

'Exceptional' dog

Monk was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop, causing criminal damage, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Sgt Nick Dachtler, from the force's dog section, said Rambo did a "vital job" in detaining Monk.

"Rambo did an exceptional job during this incident – even after the vehicle he was travelling in was violently rammed by a larger vehicle," he said.