Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers has slammed the three-year sentence of a 17-year-old boy responsible for striking and severely injuring a young Ipswich constable with a stolen car in 2018.

Key points: Constable Peter McAulay, now 25, was hit and dragged several metres by the car

Constable Peter McAulay, now 25, was hit and dragged several metres by the car He still requires further surgery

He still requires further surgery The boy was on bail for another offence when he drove the stolen car into Mr McAulay

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded guilty to four charges, including the unlawful use of a motor vehicle and a malicious act with intent, but will only need to serve half of his sentence.

Constable Peter McAulay, now 25, was hit and dragged several metres by the car at Booval, west of Brisbane, while he was laying road spikes to intercept the sedan.

He was placed in an induced coma for several days after suffering critical head injuries, broken bones, displacement of the brain, spinal injuries and a dislocated knee.

He spent two months in hospital and underwent 10 surgeries. He said the pain has continued as well as hearing loss and he still requires further surgery.

The court heard the boy — who was 16 at the time — was on bail for another offence when he drove the stolen car into Mr McAulay.

Mr Leavers said the fact 17-year-old would be released before Easter "simply doesn't cut it".

"This is unacceptable ... the youth justice system is broken," Mr Leavers said.

"It is now a green light that you can almost murder a police officer and do what has been done to Pete, and you'll get 18 months.

"If you do the crime, you do the time ... it's just not fair."

'Nothing is ever going to be the same'

The court heard the boy was prone to aggression and had a history of drug use, including cannabis and ice, and had admitted to taking drugs prior to the incident.

Constable McAulay was released from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in November. ( Supplied: Queensland Police Service )

"It just shows you what the value is, with the judiciary, the life of a police officer," Mr Leavers said.

"It shows that the courts are well and truly out of touch and they are accepting of this criminal behaviour of juveniles.

"All Pete did wrong that day was show up to work to do his job to protect the community, and he will live with this for the rest of his life."

Mr McAulay said it was not just the physical trauma that he continued to struggle with.

"I've had to learn to cope with new ways of doing things and the pain, and just adapt," he said.

"It has been tough, and hobbies, passions, work, nothing is ever going to be the same."

The young officer, who will continue to work where he can within the Queensland Police Service, said he had always been a positive person, and just made small goals for himself everyday.

"When I first got out of hospital, I couldn't put on a pair of shoes, or a pair of socks, and I didn't let anyone cut my toe nails, so my toe nails were gross and super long," he laughed.

Constable Peter McAulay (centre) still requires surgery after being seriously injured in the hit-and-run. ( Supplied: QPS )

"They were my goals that I said to my physio, I just wanted to put my shoes on, put my socks on and cut my toe nails.

"So we got there. Then you set new goals after that, and new goals after that."

In sentencing, Judge Dennis Lynch concluded the boy, who was 16 at the time, did not intentionally swerve to hit the young officer but rather to avoid the stingers.

He described the impact of his actions on Mr McAulay as "catastrophic".

"There is no doubt these events changed his life," he said.

"His personal ambitions and dreams in both his career and private life have been unnecessarily altered."