Raymond Neil Pinnington has been sentenced after carrying out a scam targeting old ladies

A Dudley Park man has been assaulted in prison after he was arrested for scamming old ladies in shopping centre car parks, a court has heard.

A man who preyed on old ladies with his “Good Samaritan” scam has been assaulted by inmates while in prison, a court has heard.

Raymond Neil Pinnington appeared at the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to a litany of charges including 33 counts of dishonestly taking property without consent.

Magistrate Mark Semmens said Pinnington, 41, had received backlash from fellow inmates since his incarceration in January.

“The ‘Good Samaritan’ offences are particularly egregious,” he said.

“You were assaulted in prison by inmates once they found out about … (you) pretending to repair tyres on people’s cars before stealing from them.

“The fact that other criminals found your offending repulsive … is rather ironic.”

According to court documents cited by The Advertiser, Pinnington’s crime spree spanned from August 2021 to January 25 this year.

During that time, the documents allege he carried out 11 deceptions, six fuel thefts, robbed Bunnings three times, and carried out a brazen beer heist in which he stole 15 kegs of beer from the Parafield Gardens Community Club.

Pinnington, of Dudley Park, stole a total of $20,076.15 and had 14 different victims spanning from Angle Vale to Ashford and including Parafield Gardens, Kilburn, Prospect and Gepps Cross.

Gloria Roberts had her handbag stolen in an elaborate flat tyre scam at Sefton Plaza. Picture: Supplied

Magistrate Semmens said Pinnington’s victims were often ladies over 60 – one of which was parked in a disability park when he punctured her tyre and then offered to change it before stealing her belongings.

Pinnington’s arrest on January 26 came a few days after The Advertiser revealed that 73-year-old Gloria Roberts had fallen victim to a scam at Sefton Plaza Shopping Centre.

Gloria’s daughter Kylie Roberts said a man knocked on her door and told her that her tyre was flat before insisting to change it.

“He said ‘I’ve got 10 minutes, I’m waiting for my wife’ but it was all a hoax.”

Ms Roberts said her mother followed the man to the back of the car to help him lift the spare tyre out.

Gloria Roberts’ tyre was slashed. Picture: Supplied

It was only a short time later that the 73 year old realised her handbag was missing from the front seat.

Magistrate Semmens said another woman gave Pinnington $10 after he helped change her flat tyre before realising her bag – which contained ID, bank cards, money and a phone – had been stolen by him.

When she drove home she found her handbag wasn’t in the back seat of her car anymore, she returned to the shopping centre but couldn’t locate it.

Magistrate Semmens said Pinnington’s offending was “premeditated”, “shameful and very serious”.

Pinnington was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 months.

The sentence was backdated to April 12 2023.