A dangerous driver who rammed police cars in a desperate bid to escape was finally chased down and detained by a determined police dog.
Police Dog Rambo brushed off the violent ramming of the car he was travelling in and bravely gave chase through the darkness as convicted robber Luke Monk tried to flee on foot.
Rambo, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, was in the back of the specially adapted Skoda when Monk reversed his cloned Ford Transit van into it on a railway bridge near Stapleford.
Undeterred by the violent impact, he immediately answered his handler’s call and bounded after the runaway driver.
After also dodging a wheelie bin thrown in his direction, Rambo quickly caught up with the suspect and detained him.
Monk, who was previously jailed for committing an armed robbery, drove at speeds of more than 90 mph after he was spotted by officers on the M1 in the early hours of 12 October this year.
After pulling off at Junction 26, he allowed a marked police car to pull in front of him and appeared to be complying with a controlled stop – before speeding forward and striking the passenger side of the vehicle.
He then reversed into the same vehicle before speeding off towards Nottingham, driving at around 80 mph in residential areas and dangerously overtaking other cars and even switching off his lights in a bid to avoid detection.
After his arrest, Monk was abusive to officers and declined to answer questions posed to him in his police interview.
He later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop, causing criminal damage, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, 16 December, Monk, of Hall Drive, Sandiacre, was said to be remorseful for his actions and was given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Sergeant Cai Kemish said:
“Monk put numerous lives at risk during this incident and clearly had no regard for the safety of the police officers he deliberately drove into.
“The presence in the final car he rammed of Police Dog Rambo was, I am sure, an unpleasant surprise that quickly turned the odds in our favour as he tried and failed to flee on foot.”
Sergeant Nick Dachtler, of Nottinghamshire Police’s dog section, said:
“Rambo did an exceptional job during this incident – even after the vehicle he was travelling in was violently rammed by a larger vehicle.
“Undeterred, he then did exactly what he has been trained to do and played a vital role in detaining this criminal.”
