A man who drove a van at four police officers and injured one has been jailed for four years.

Aaron Swanson, 28, hit PC Lucy O'Donnell on the body after she ordered him to stop his van and drove at excessive speed towards other officers.

He was originally charged with attempted murder following the incident in Clydebank on 5 January 2025, but was convicted at the High Court at Livingston of two less serious offences - assault to injury and danger of life.

Swanson was cleared of several motoring offences including failing to stop after an accident, failing to stop for police and driving without a licence or insurance.

The court heard O'Donnell was not seriously injured in the collision.

Her colleague PC Sean McCafferty, who was standing near her, had to take action to avoid being hit by the white Transit van.

Defending, Thomas Leonard Ross KC, said Swanson continued to deny he intended to injure the officers but accepted his actions had been reckless and he had to be punished.

He told the court the father-of-four had suffered adverse childhood experiences and had served a series of short-term sentences for offences committed over the last 11 years.

Judge Jane Farquharson said he had not stopped offending despite being a father of very young children and described his criminal record as "woeful".

She said it was "by good luck" O'Donnell only suffered minor injury.

She told Swanson: "You were trying to make your escape. Driving at any person is to the danger of their life.

"There is a significant aggravation in that you struck her on the body to her injury.

"The fact that you were on bail for analogous offences at the time is another aggravating factor."

Farquharson added repeated spells in custody for drugs offending, violence and obstruction of police officers had not deterred him from offending.

A background report by social workers highlighted an ongoing risk to others and suggested he would get behind the wheel of a car despite being banned simply because it suited him.

The judge concluded custody was "the only option".

She imposed an extended sentence with a custodial part of four years, backdated to 10 June 2025 and post-release supervision for a further three years from the date of his release.

Farquharson warned him if he failed to comply with the conditions of licence it may be revoked and he may be returned to prison.

She added, despite already being subject to a five year driving ban until July 2030, he would be disqualified from driving for a total of seven years, to take account of the time he will spend in custody.