A police officer who knocked a teenager off his bike was involved in the hunt for a dangerous stalker who planned to use a “kill kit” to harm his ex-partner.
PC Kayleigh Simpson is accused of colliding with the then-15-year-old on a cycle path in Glenrothes.
A trial heard at the time, she was engaged in a manhunt for Kevin Spratley, who was later convicted of domestic abuse, car theft and weapon possession.
Spratley had earlier made off when his car, containing a mask, a hammer, pliers, bolt cutters, a 16-inch long metal pole covered with tape, Sellotape, scissors, snips, a bungee cord and a rope.
Simpson, 34, is accused of dangerous driving, striking the 15-year-old cyclist, while driving a marked Peugeot 308 on a cycle path near Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes.
The trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court has previously heard suggestions Simpson “nudged” the back wheel of the bike.
Search for dangerous abuser
Spratley, 48, had already bombarded his ex with texts and emails, got her sacked from work, repeatedly turned up at her home uninvited and made chilling threats of violence.
He set off in a car with a sinister collection of items, having told the woman: “Hell is coming”.
As he searched for the woman, police stopped the car and he ran away.
PC Simpson said her colleague had stopped Spratley that night and she was aware he had had a “kill kit”.
She said he was known to use pedal bikes and had stolen one in the days prior to the incident.
She said she was on patrol as a community officer when she became involved in the search and spotted a male on a bike, who failed to stop.
She said: “I was travelling down the street not far from where the car had been dumped.
“As I passed the junction I was aware of a male on a push bike.
“Generally, 90% of people will stop and talk to you and I went to speak to the male on the push bike to see if he had seen anything in the area.”
However, she said upon turning into Canmore Street, where the male was riding, he “veered off” and sped up.
Despite PC Simpson activating her lights he still did not stop.
The teenager then continued down a cycle path near Auchmuty High School, with PC Simpson following.
She said she had driven on this path before as it is wide enough to accommodate council refuse vehicles, it was well lit and has a clear line of sight.
She said a colleague, PC Christian McBride, was driving in the opposite direction but the teenager “swerved” around his vehicle.
“In my opinion there could be no other view than that the police were trying to stop him,” she said.
‘High-risk domestic offender’
Spratley was caught later and jailed for more than three years.
Sergeant Fiona Sneddon told the trial there was information Spratley “was using a car or pedal cycle”.
She said: “It was an ongoing incident he had been involved in – he was a high-risk domestic offender.”
She said a description of Spratley had been issued to all officers.
She said officers had been concerned he “would not go down without a fight”.
During the search Sgt Sneddon said she received a radio message from PC Simpson, who said she had collided with the teenager.
She said: “She told me there had been an incident involving a police vehicle.
“A male had been on a bike – she had been following him and he had come off.
“This was in the cycle path near the Lomond Centre.
“She had been following the male and he had not stopped.
“She put lights on and he did not stop and she believed him to be a suspect.
“The police vehicle had come into contact with the rear wheel (of the bike) and he had come off.”
Victim’s evidence
The trial has previously heard officers would never be trained to make contact with vehicles they are pursuing.
The victim, now 17, said he was returning home on his pushbike in the Rimbleton area of Glenrothes, when he became aware of the pursuing police car, with blue lights flashing.
The teenager said he was too scared to stop and tried to flee down a footpath beside Auchmuty High School.
He said: “As I was cycling down the path, I was trying to cycle as fast as I could.
“I could hear them revving.
“Eventually they just rammed me and I went flying.”
He said: “She told me to take down my snood.
“It was like she muttered something like ‘it’s not him’ or something like that.”
The teenager suffered minor injuries.
The trial will continue in November.
