A police officer left for dead after a horrific attack by a father and son says the ordeal will "never leave me". PC Mark Smith, 35, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the incident in Hamilton on August 30, 2024.
Douglas Mills Jnr, 32, and Douglas Mills Snr, 58, were jailed for 34 years for the attempted murder of PC Smith. The officer had approached the pair in a stationary Audi on Low Waters Road. When he tried to engage with them, the vehicle drove off at speed, reaching 50mph, with PC Smith half dragged inside.
Officer dragged along road and left seriously injured
He is believed to have been pushed out and dragged along the road before being left lying seriously injured. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where he was treated for a fractured skull and a significant traumatic brain injury.
PC Smith said the impact of that day will stay with him forever. He said: "As a police constable we often think of ourselves as able to deal with anything from trauma, stress, violence and any number of things thrown our way. I was simply doing my job that day, but what happened to me is not something that I could ever have prepared for, nor is it something that will ever leave me."
Two years on, PC still awaiting surgery
He added: "I was more than fortunate to survive, but part of me did not survive that day. Part of me was lost and two years later, I have started to accept that I will never be the same again. My job was a huge part of my identity. I’m unsure of what the future holds for me, and I fear that I will never be able to return to frontline policing."
Two years on, PC Smith is still waiting for reconstructive surgery on his ankle and has not been able to return to work.
Father and son sentenced at High Court
Mills Jnr and Mills Snr were found guilty of charges including attempted murder, assault to severe injury, permanent impairment and danger to life following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. They were each sentenced to 17 years on Monday, September 14.
Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton, Chair of Police Scotland’s Your Safety Matters Oversight Group, said: "Assaults on officers and staff are absolutely unacceptable. Everyone who works for Police Scotland has the fundamental right to come home from each shift unharmed."
Detective Inspector Scott Robertson, Senior Investigating Officer, said: "Douglas Mills Jnr and Douglas Mills Snr are clearly two very dangerous and callous individuals. Let us be clear that violence towards police officers is a serious criminal offence and anyone who behaves in this way should be in no doubt that we will rigorously pursue them and ensure they are brought to justice."
