Man denies driving into police officer

Robbie Richards is alleged to have fled the scene of an incident in which a policeman was knocked down by a car near Clive last December. Photo / Supplied

A police officer alleged to have been run down by a wanted man car at a booze-bus checkpoint near Clive has tearfully told a court of the moment he thought he was going to die.

Giving evidence in Napier District Court yesterday, Constable Adam Blummont told how he could not feel his arms, but grabbed at his radio to call for help.

"I wasn't sure if my words were getting out," he said. "You think, this is it, I'm dead."

Mr Blummont was giving evidence on the first day of the trial of 29-year-old Robert James ("Robbie") Richards, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of wounding Mr Blummont with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Guthrie told the jury it was alleged to have been a deliberate act of driving by Richards in Farndon Rd, Clive, about 12.30 on the morning of Sunday, December 19 - soon after the officer received a text message from his fiancee (now his wife) wishing him a happy birthday.

Mr Blummont's leg was fractured, and he suffered other knee injuries, facial abrasions and concussion. While he was now back at work he had not yet returned to full duties.

Opening the case, Ms Guthrie, told Judge Bridget Mackintosh and the jury Richards did not want to stop at the State Highway 2 checkpoint just north of Clive because there were two warrants out for his arrest.

Mr Blummont was stationed on Farndon Rd, just off the highway, to test people who turned off the main road.

Through teary eyes he told the court about the moment the car briefly stopped before speeding up and turning sharply to hit him.

He said he could not feel his arms and tried to call for help through his radio but he said his mouth was filling up with blood and his nose was "hanging off" his face.

"They virtually had to pull part of my forehead down and stitch my forehead up."

The constable gradually returned to work following the incident and was still not yet back to the full capacity of his prior work duties almost one year later.

A member of the public who was driving home from work found Mr Blummont before other officers who had heard the smash rushed to the scene.

The crown alleges Richards, who was represented by barrister Scott Jefferson, had a female passenger, Alana Mumby, in the car and the pair fled the scene immediately.

Ms Mumby was tracked by police dogs to a nearby paddock, but Richards was not found until the following night. The crown played a taped police interview of Ms Mumby which was recorded just hours after the incident. In the video she said Mr Richards was driving the car at the time and was her boyfriend.

"I thought he was just going to drive straight through," she told an officer, adding that what had happened she "wouldn't wish it on anyone".

But yesterday in court she said she did not know the defendant personally, she did not remember much about the night, and she did not recall a police interview. Ms Mumby said she had been at a party that night and was probably on methamphetamine. She also said she was a daily user of cannabis, synthetic cannabis and methamphetamine.

The trial is expected to continue at least until tomorrow.