Man jailed for police killing

Parfitt ignored pleas for him to stop the car

A thief who ignored a police officer's pleas as he was dragged trailing from a car door before suffering fatal injuries has been jailed for 13 years.

Drug addict David Parfitt was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of a more serious murder charge.

Parfitt was at the wheel of a stolen taxi as Pc Ged Walker was dragged more than 100 yards at a speed of 30mph along a street in Bulwell, Nottingham, on 7 January, and suffered severe head injuries.

A Home Office inquiry is now under way after it was alleged Parfitt - who had been under a probation supervision order - had failed a drug test and should have been returned to custody prior to the incident which caused Pc Walker's death.

I was horrified to discover not only that the offender was on licence but had, in my opinion, seriously failed to comply with the terms of his licence Widow Tracy Walker Read more about this allegation

During the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, it was revealed heard Parfitt, 26, of Wareham Close, Aspley, Nottingham, ignored the police dog handler's calls to stop and that the 42-year-old father-of-two was thrown to the roadside and died two days later in hospital.

Parfitt, who denied murder, said he had not intended to hurt anyone and had panicked when trying to flee the police.

On Thursday a jury of seven men and five women found him guilty of manslaughter.

Parfitt was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter and handed a consecutive one year prison term for other offences.

Mr Justice Treacy revealed Parfitt had been on licence from a previous sentence for robberies from elderly women at the time of Pc Walker's death.

Parfitt had earlier admitted taking the Vauxhall Astra taxi without the owner's consent, driving whilst disqualified, theft and burglary.