A WOMAN was dragged along the ground hanging on to her car as a thief drove off in it – after she had left her keys in the ignition.
She eventually let go before drug addict Anthony Howard sped off in the VW Golf, driving the wrong way round a traffic island.
Howard (31) of Humbleton Drive, Binley, Coventry, was jailed for four years and two months after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to robbery and dangerous driving.
Prosecutor Paul Dhami said that at about six on the morning a woman drove to Keresley supermarket in Keresley Green Road, Coventry, to get some money from a cash machine.
After reversing into a parking space, she left the car door open and the key in the ignition – but as she was using the machine she became aware of a man walking towards the car with his head down.
Anticipating what he was going to do, she left the cash machine and ran towards the car as Howard was getting in, grabbing hold of his jumper and telling him to get out.
But he pushed her hand away and began to drive off, pulling her to the ground and dragging her along for one or two metres before she let go.
Howard drove off into Keresley Green Road, going the wrong way round a roundabout in the car, in which the woman had a child seat and various personal possessions.
As a result of the incident the woman, who says she relied on the car for work, suffered grazing and bruising, but no serious injuries, added Mr Dhami.
Simon Hunka, defending, said Howard, who had previous convictions for theft, had intended to steal the car on seeing it parked with the door open and the key in the ignition.
“His intention was not to hurt her, but it is a dramatic consequence of the incident that she was dragged along.”
“His problem is a drug problem, which is a relatively recent one. He’s 31, and his offending only began in the fairly recent past.”
Mr Hunkja explained that after leaving school Howard worked with his father, who was very skilled, doing up properties.
“Unfortunately his father was then diagnosed with cancer and could no longer work, and the defendant found it difficult to find other work.
“Instead he found his way into heroin and cocaine, and started committing offences. But this is the most serious thing he’s ever done.”
Jailing Howard and banning him from driving for three years, Judge Peter Cooke told him: “Having viewed the video of what you did, I take the view your driving was dangerous, because you dragged a pedestrian alongside the car.
“That is a seriously aggravating feature of the robbery offence, so to pass a consecutive sentence for the dangerous driving would not be appropriate.
“Although I accept this was an impromptu offence after you saw the lady leave her car and leave the door open, and it was only ever intended to be a theft, the risk the owner would see you and try to stop you was plain as a pikestaff.
“It was equally foreseeable that driving off while she was trying to stop you was likely to cause injury.”
