A police officer got tasered in the finger after trying to restrain a man who sped off and crashed into a tree, a court heard.

Liam Yellop, 21, was spotted in a black Ford Fiesta turning at speed into Barn Road, Norwich.

Norwich Crown Court heard police followed Yellop as he made his way through the city increasing speed on St Augustine’s Street.

Lori Tucker, prosecuting, said after travelling at 40mph over speed bumps in the Angel Road area Yellop increased his speed to 60mph on Catton Grove Road, where the speed limit is 30mph, before going the wrong way around the roundabout onto Woodcock Road before colliding with a tree.

The driver-side airbag deployed and Yellop got out of the car and ran off but was chased by police.

Miss Tucker said Yellop fell to the ground before the officer caught up with him.

Yellop “didn’t stop struggling” prompting the officer to try and taser the defendant, although this appeared to be unsuccessful.

The officer reloaded his taser and warned Yellop he would be tasered if he did not back off.

Yellop lunged towards the officer and slapped his taser down resulting in one of the barb’s ending up on the policeman’s finger.

There was then a struggle between the two before a member of the public came to help the officer subdue Yellop.

The defendant was then arrested following the incident which happened after 11pm on August 5 last year.

Yellop, of Kings Road, Coltishall, appeared at court on Tuesday (September 22) having previously admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop and assault by beating of an emergency worker.

Judge Katharine Moore said Yellop’s driving had been “frankly appalling”.

Judge Moore said he then tried to make off from the police officer who was doing his public duty only to be injured by his own taser adding it was a “complete disgrace”.

Yellop was given 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 21 months, ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and pay £350 towards costs. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Michael Clare, for Yellop, said he was a “hard working man” who had “let himself down” adding that he was “extremely sorry for his behaviour” but “just got scared”.