Man jailed for running over police officer at Tailem Bend

A man who ran over a police officer at Tailem Bend in 2024 will spend at least five and a half years in prison after being sentenced last week.

Daniel Henry Crutchfield, 32, was sentenced for a charge of aggravated endangering life in the District Court in Adelaide last Tuesday.

He had pleaded guilty to that offence before Judge Emily Telfer, as well as theft, serious criminal trespassing and two firearms offences.

By the time he reached Tailem Bend on Christmas Eve of 2024, Crutchfield was already wanted in Victoria and had broken into a property at Field, where he stole a shotgun and rifle; he was also high on methamphetamine.

Police surrounded the Shell roadhouse while he went inside to buy food.

They attempted to arrest him when he came out, but Crutchfield jumped into his car, locked the doors and accelerated away.

In doing so, he ran over the legs of Senior Constable Liam Bennett, who had been married only a week earlier.

“He and his wife should have been enjoying their time as newlyweds, approaching their first Christmas as husband and wife and looking forward to their honeymoon,” Judge Telfer told the court.

“Instead of enjoying that time, Officer Bennett was in pain and in stress, as he and his wife were living through medical appointments and sleepless nights.

“Officer Bennett has not been able to return to front line duties, a career that he loved and was ambitious about; (and) the permanent disfigurement to his leg serves as a constant reminder of the trauma that he suffered.”

Crutchfield’s “traumatic and neglectful” childhood and meth addiction did not excuse his behaviour, Judge Telfer suggested.

She sentenced him to just over eight years in prison, but with a non-parole period which will end on June 23, 2030.

Judge Telfer also disqualified him from driving for seven years from the date of his release.