A drug-affected car thief who ran over and killed a young policeman while trying to escape arrest will spend more than a decade in prison.

Reagan Ainslie Chown, 25, was convicted of manslaughter over the late-night June 8, 2023 incident that led to Constable Anthony Woods’ death in Perth.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: ‘Never enough’: cop’s widow reflects on jail term.

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He was sentenced in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday to a head sentence of 15 years and six months, and a minimum term of 13 years and six months.

Woods’ mother Natalie said her heart was “ripped” away the day her son died.

“My beautiful son Anthony was so full of life, energy and ambition,” she said in a victim impact statement to the court.

“He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away.”

Woods said her family continued to suffer and “each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us”.

“Whatever he did, he had a great passion ... he was larger than life, but his love for his family was number one,” she said.

A meth-affected car thief who killed a policeman amid a pursuit has been sentenced for ‘consciously and deliberately’ running over the officer. Credit: WA Police

Natalie Woods, the mother of Constable Anthony Woods, is comforted by WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch. Credit: Richard Wainwright/AAP

Outside court, the late constable’s widow Emily said the sentence was important “in helping us move forward”.

“No sentence will ever be enough because Anthony’s lost his whole life and he had so much ahead of him,” she said.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said Woods’ memory will “live for ever”.

“Constable Anthony Woods was a police officer we all aspire to be. He was an outstanding police officer — a hero,” Blanch said.

“He did his duty — we all knew that.

“His use of force was appropriate, as described by the judge, and it was pleasing to hear the judge use those words because I think for the family, they needed to hear that in the courtroom.”

‘Stay where you are’

Chown and two others fled from police in a stolen Holden Cruz in a high-speed chase before turning into a cul-de-sac and coming to a stop.

Woods, 28, opened the driver’s door and tried to detain Chown, who was behind the steering wheel with the engine running.

Chown put the car into reverse and accelerated in a bid to escape.

The officer fired his Taser into the moving car before falling and being dragged under the vehicle, where he became trapped.

CCTV footage played during the trial in May showed the Holden reversing at speed, mounting a kerb and stopping after it hit a bollard.

During the video, Constable Woods can be heard twice saying “stay where you are” and “Taser” as the vehicle moved backwards.

The officer died several days after the incident from complications of cardiac arrest caused by mechanical compression of the chest and abdomen.

Reagan Chown has been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars. Credit: WA Police

Chown was under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of the drug when the incident happened.

During his trial, he argued he was not responsible for the tragedy because the officer shot him with a Taser and it caused him to lose control of a stolen car.

Justice Joseph McGrath said Chown intended to flee police and ignored the officer’s lawful commands.

“Undoubtedly, the Taser caused you pain and discomfort, but your course of conduct was set and it was done consciously and deliberately,” he said.

“Even if you were not tasered, you would have reversed and that was your intention.”

Woods, who had just passed his probation, was farewelled before about 2000 police officers, family, friends and dignitaries at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

Chown was initially accused of murder but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter a week before his trial.

He was also convicted of stealing the car and reckless driving to escape police and was also sentenced for those offences.

Law reform

Blanch said he would be asking lawmakers to consider if legislative change is needed, after Chown’s murder charge was downgraded to manslaughter.

WA’s top cop said Woods’ death was “eerily similar” to that of Stephen Knight, a constable killed in 1993 while conducting traffic duties in Perth.

Knight was struck by a car driven by Scott Anderson, who was later convicted of manslaughter.

“I think murder should stand in these cases when you are a criminal behaving criminally, evading police and killing a police officer,” he said.