A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 21 months in custody following a collision with a police officer while riding an electric motorbike during an attempted escape from arrest in Cardiff.
Jake Fernandes was convicted of five offences stemming from the incident on Amroth Road in Caerau on 11 August 2026 at approximately 20:30 BST. The charges included dangerous driving of a Sur-Ron e-bike, operating the vehicle without insurance or a valid driving licence, possession with intent to supply cannabis, and involvement in cannabis production.
Recorder Robin Rouch, who presided over sentencing at Crown Court, determined that Fernandes had deliberately attempted to evade arrest and in doing so caused injury to the officer. The judge noted that while the injuries sustained were not severe, they were significant enough to warrant hospital treatment and represented a serious breach of public safety.
How the incident unfolded
According to South Wales Police, the officer was conducting plain-clothes patrols as part of a targeted operation responding to community concerns about illegal and anti-social use of high-powered electric bikes in the area.
Prosecutor Tim Lewis told the court that Fernandes appeared to deliberately provoke officers before attempting to flee the scene. When PC Hamer stepped into the road to stop the rider, Fernandes collided with the officer, striking him with considerable force. Lewis presented photographic evidence to the court documenting cuts and bruising to the officer's elbow, legs and head sustained in the collision.
Following the impact, Fernandes attempted to continue fleeing but was apprehended by attending officers shortly afterwards.
What was recovered from the defendant
A search of Fernandes immediately after his arrest revealed 40 snap bags of cannabis, approximately £735 in cash, and a mobile telephone. According to local reporting, the officer was transported to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff following the collision.
A subsequent search of Fernandes' home address in Caerau uncovered what police described as the remainder of a cannabis production facility, providing evidence of his involvement in the cultivation and supply of the drug.
The sentencing decision
In his remarks, Recorder Rouch acknowledged that Fernandes had not deliberately aimed the motorbike at the officer, and he gave credit for guilty pleas entered at an early stage of proceedings. However, the judge emphasised that the defendant should never have been operating the vehicle on a public road in the first place.
It is fortunate that the injuries are not more serious and that's more luck than judgement.
Rouch stressed that Fernandes' deliberate attempt to evade arrest, which directly resulted in the officer being struck, was a serious aggravating factor in sentencing. The collision demonstrated the real danger posed by the use of high-powered electric bikes in urban areas, particularly when riders actively resist police intervention.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Fernandes was disqualified from driving for 21 months. Before he is permitted to drive again following the expiry of the ban, he will be required to pass an advanced driving test, a requirement imposed to ensure he demonstrates significantly improved road safety awareness.
Fernandes will serve a minimum of 40 per cent of his 21-month sentence in custody before becoming eligible for release on licence, meaning he must spend at least 8.4 months in prison.
The broader context of the operation
The incident was part of a wider police operation targeting illegal use of high-powered electric bikes, which had become a source of community concern in Cardiff. South Wales Police had deployed plain-clothes officers specifically to address anti-social and dangerous riding in areas where such vehicles were being used in violation of traffic regulations.
Fernandes, described as a local man from Caerau, was initially charged at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 14 August 2026 and remanded in custody pending his Crown Court appearance. The case proceeded through the court system relatively swiftly, with sentencing delivered following his guilty pleas to all charges.
Key Facts
- Jake Fernandes, 25, was sentenced to 21 months in jail for dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and cannabis-related offences
- The collision occurred on 11 August 2026 when the officer attempted to stop the electric motorbike; Fernandes struck the officer while attempting to flee
- Police recovered 40 bags of cannabis, £735 cash, and evidence of a cannabis production facility at Fernandes' home address
- The officer sustained cuts and bruising requiring hospital treatment but no life-threatening injuries
- Fernandes was disqualified from driving for 21 months and must pass an advanced driving test before driving again
