A police officer suffered brain damage after a car thief drove a stolen vehicle at him, a court has heard.

Detective Constable James Lafferty hung onto the tailgate of the car for 50 yards - and fell from the car only seconds before it collided with a police vehicle.

Driver Robert Foye was jailed for 10 years at the High Court in Edinburgh after being found guilty of attempting to murder the officer last November.

Robert Foye was jailed for 10 years

The 22-year-old, from Torbrex Road, Cumbernauld, was also banned from driving for life.

Lady Cosgrove told him: "You have been found guilty by the jury of attempting to murder a policeman in the course of his duty by driving a car at him.

"That act has had horrendous consequences for the officer involved."

The court heard that DC Lafferty was still off work eight months after the attack.

He suffered an extensive skull fracture with swelling around the brain, injuries which left him with no sense of smell or taste.

Stolen car

He has also been subject to mood changes.

"The first thing I remember is waking up in hospital a week later," he said.

The court heard that Mr Lafferty and a colleague had seen the stolen car as they came out of a house in Tarbolton Road, Cumbernauld.

As they approached the vehicle Foye reversed at speed towards them.

His record discloses he is a car thief and that he is an extremely bad driver

Donald Findlay QC

DC Lafferty, 34, could not get out of its way and was left hanging onto the tailgate.

Defence counsel Donald Findlay QC said: "This was action driven more by panic and a desire to escape, rather than any particular wish to cause serious harm."

He said Foye realised the "appalling" consequences for the officer.

"His record discloses he is a car thief and that he is an extremely bad driver," he added.

Foye's previous convictions included four charges of dangerous driving.

He was convicted of attempting to murder the policeman on 6 November last year, in addition to charges of dangerous driving and stealing two cars.