Man charged after officer dragged by stolen police car

The alcohol checkpoint where a patrol car was stolen and constable Sarah Lurajud was injured. Photo / Simon Baker

A man charged after a police officer was dragged under a stolen patrol car has been remanded on bail.

Jamie Alan Sinclair, a 22-year-old labourer, is accused of stealing the unmarked patrol car from a police alcohol check-point in Christchurch.

The officer was dragged a short distance by the car that police say Sinclair took. She was the country's first officer to undergo a sex change. Constable Sarah Lurajud had previously been Constable Stephen Lurajud and underwent surgery in 2005.

Police said the man had his keys confiscated after failing a breath alcohol test at the checkpoint on Buchanans Rd near Hornby about 11.30pm on Saturday, and a short time later drove off in an unmarked police vehicle.

Ms Lurajud tried to stop the man and was dragged along the road for about 10 metres, suffering a cut to her head and leg and ankle injuries. She was treated in hospital and discharged early on Sunday morning but is expected to be off work for about a week.

The car was abandoned a short distance away, and Sinclair was arrested at his home in Papanui late yesterday morning.

Sinclair has been charged with injuring with intent to unlawfully take a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and theft of a police car.

He has been remanded on bail without appearing before a judge.

Meanwhile, Canterbury road policing manager Inspector Al Stewart said there would be a review of practices around the security of patrol cars at alcohol checkpoints, with the weekend incident forming part of the process.

Mr Stewart said it was not clear if the keys had been left in the car, but that it was standard practice for police at checkpoints to leave themselves access to a car in case they had to chase someone who failed to stop.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, NZPA