Aaron Swanson, 28, has been sentenced to four years in prison after driving a white Transit van at four police officers and striking one during an incident in Clydebank on 5 January 2025. He was convicted at the High Court at Livingston of assault to injury and danger of life, following what Police Scotland initially described as attempted murder of a police officer when he was arrested and charged on 7 February 2025.
Swanson struck PC Lucy O'Donnell on the body after she instructed him to stop his vehicle, then accelerated at high speed towards other officers at the scene. PC Sean McCafferty, positioned near O'Donnell, was forced to take evasive action to avoid being struck by the van. Constables Arran Speirs and Jordan Pitt also jumped clear as Swanson drove towards them during the same incident.
The court established that O'Donnell sustained only minor injuries in the collision. Swanson was acquitted of several motoring charges, including failing to stop after an accident, failing to stop for police, and driving without a valid licence or insurance.
Why was the charge reduced from attempted murder?
Although prosecutors initially pursued an attempted murder charge, the High Court jury convicted Swanson of the less serious offences of assault to injury and danger of life instead. His defence counsel, Thomas Leonard Ross KC, stated that Swanson continued to deny any intention to harm the officers but acknowledged his conduct had been reckless and warranted punishment.
What was Swanson's background?
The court heard that Swanson is a father of four young children who has experienced significant adverse childhood experiences. Over the preceding 11 years, he had accumulated a series of short-term custodial sentences for various offences. A social work report presented to the court highlighted an ongoing risk to the public and noted that Swanson would likely drive vehicles despite being subject to a driving ban if circumstances suited him.
What did the judge say about sentencing?
Judge Jane Farquharson described Swanson's criminal record as "woeful" and noted he had continued offending despite being a father of very young children. She emphasised that it was "by good luck" that O'Donnell had suffered only minor injury, given the circumstances of the incident.
The judge told Swanson:
You were trying to make your escape. Driving at any person is to the danger of their life. There is a significant aggravation in that you struck her on the body to her injury. The fact that you were on bail for analogous offences at the time is another aggravating factor.
Farquharson noted that repeated periods in custody for drugs offences, violence, and obstruction of police had failed to deter Swanson from further offending. She concluded that custody was "the only option" available.
What sentence was imposed?
The judge imposed an extended sentence comprising a custodial period of four years, backdated to 10 June 2025, followed by three years of post-release supervision from the date of his release. Farquharson warned that failure to comply with licence conditions could result in the licence being revoked and Swanson being returned to prison.
In addition to the custodial term, Swanson was disqualified from driving for a total of seven years to account for time spent in custody. This supersedes a previous five-year driving ban that was set to expire in July 2030.
How does this case fit into wider policing concerns?
This conviction reflects ongoing challenges faced by police in Scotland. The incident occurred during a period of heightened police activity in the Clydebank area, following an earlier appeal by Police Scotland regarding assaults on two men in the same locality on 28 December 2024. Cases involving vehicles being used as weapons against officers have drawn significant judicial attention, with sentencing guidelines reflecting the severity of such offences.
Key Facts:
- Swanson was convicted of assault to injury and danger of life, not the original attempted murder charge
- He struck one officer and drove at three others during the Clydebank incident on 5 January 2025
- The injured officer, PC Lucy O'Donnell, sustained only minor injuries
- He received a four-year custodial sentence plus three years post-release supervision
- A seven-year driving disqualification was imposed to account for time in custody
