Related Articles
Both officers were left with significant and permanent injuries
A Crawley man who gouged the eyes of two female police officers following shocking Gatwick Airport road rage incidents has been jailed. Three officers tried to arrest Mohammed Rasool in May 2025 after he didn’t appear in court charged with robbery but the 44-year-old suddenly became violent.
One officer described feeling his ‘fingers over her face trying to locate her eye socket’ while Rasool also pulled their hair, bit them and struck them with a mobile phone – leaving both with significant and permanent injuries.
The Crawley arrest attempt followed two violent road rage incidents involving Rasool near Gatwick Airport where he abused and assaulted other drivers. During the first incident on May 3, 2024 he racially abused and struck a taxi driver who was dropping off a passenger.
Less than two months later on June 28 he was involved in another incident near Gatwick where he undertook a vehicle and sharply broke in front of the driver. He got out of his car and went up to the victim, striking him through the window and grabbing the victim’s mobile phone before leaving the scene.
He was charged with both offences but failed to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on May 28 last year so a warrant was issued for his arrest. One of the police officer injured in Rasool’s attack described it as worse than anything she has experienced in 28 years of working for Sussex Police.
“This incident was shocking,” she said. “I witnessed my colleagues being assaulted, causing them serious injuries, when I genuinely believed I was going to potentially lose my sight because of being assaulted. I was terrified.
“I had blood dripping down my face, I couldn’t breathe. I was exhausted from the sustained attack while trying to protect my colleagues and I.
“When I felt fingers over my face like a spider, trying to locate my eye socket, I feared the worst. I don’t think I will ever forget this. No one should experience this level of violence or be assaulted when they are simply doing their job.”
On March 19, 2025 Rasool, of Gossops Drive in Crawley, was jailed for six years and 10 months after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, robbery, and racially-aggravated common assault.
Sussex Police Detective Chief Inspector Pauline Lane from Crawley CID said: “The two road rage incidents outside the airport were appalling enough. He drove aggressively and then carried out unprovoked assaults on two taxi drivers going about their lawful business. Then after failing to attend court, he unleashed a vicious and sustained assault on officers who were there to serve the public and keep people safe.
“The assaults are simply not acceptable, and demonstrate the risks that our officers face every day while on duty. Rasool is clearly a violent and dangerous individual, so I am pleased he is serving a significant custodial sentence.”
To see all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your area, enter your postcode below or visit the Public Notice Portal HERE
Source link
