Selwyn Warren jailed for driving over a grandmother’s hand after a brazen theft at Paradise

A woman playing with her granddaughter confronted a brazen thief who stole her handbag, before being punched and dragged by his car, a court has heard. Warning: Distressing footage

A grandmother was punched in the face and dragged by a car after she confronted the brazen thief who stole her handbag, a court heard.

Selwyn Benjamin Warren, 20, had been awake for nine days on meth when he committed the “terrifying” assault.

The District Court heard the “elderly and vulnerable” victim was playing with her three-year-old granddaughter at a playground in Paradise on May 11, 2021.

Warren walked past the pram and grabbed the victim’s handbag, as well as her granddaughter’s backpack.

The victim ran after him, with Warren getting into a stolen Yaris.

“(The victim) reached into the driver’s side window, at which time you punched her in the face,” Judge Joana Fuller said during sentencing.

The victim approached Warren’s car. Photo: Courts SA

Warren started to drive off with the woman still holding on to the window.

“(The victim) was dragged by the car briefly before she fell to the ground,” Judge Fuller said.

“As you drove off, you drove over her hand causing her great pain.

“It was a matter of sheer luck that no other part of her body, especially her head, was struck by the car.”

Judge Fuller described the footage of the incident as terrifying.

“You exhibited a complete and callous disregard for her welfare knowing, as you must have, that she had been holding on to the car as you drove off and that she was at risk of injury because of your actions,” she said.

Warren then drove off, causing the victim to be dragged by the car. Photo: Courts SA

The victim was taken to Modbury hospital where she received treatment for a laceration to her head which required staples and a dislocated finger.

Warren evaded police but was eventually arrested.

“You said you had been awake for nine days because you had been using methamphetamine,” Judge Fuller said.

“You needed money to buy more cannabis and methamphetamine and when you were near the Paradise interchange, you spotted the pram and the bag and backpack and you decided then to steal them.”

Selwyn Warren was jailed for driving over a grandmother after a brazen theft at Paradise. Photo: Facebook

The Campbelltown father-of-two pleaded guilty to theft, assault and an act likely to cause harm.

The court heard Warren, who was born in Adelaide and lived in Port Augusta, had a history of drug use.

Judge Fuller said she accepted Warren, who read an apology letter to his victim, was remorseful for his actions.

“You hope she could forgive you. You said you ‘100 per cent deserve’ what you get because you could have killed her,” she said.

“You said being in prison had shown you that drugs and crime was not the life you wanted.”

Judge Fuller sentenced Warren to three years, one month in jail, with a non-parole period of 19 months.

The sentence was backdated to May 11, 2021.

He was also disqualified from driving for six years.