David Patrick Sjerp sentenced for ramming car, stealing bag in Maryborough

After he crashed into a car carrying children, a concerned family tried to help. But the drunk driver showed his thanks with a despicable act of violence. That’s when bystanders jumped in.

First, a drunk driver rammed the back of a car with three children sitting in the back seat.

Then, when the parents in the car came to the driver’s aid, thinking the crash had just been an accident, the man demanded the mother’s handbag before punching her in the face.

David Patrick Sjerp, 40, pleaded guilty in Maryborough District Court to multiple offences, including drink driving, unlawful use of a vehicle, robbery with personal violence and failing to dispose of a syringe.

The court heard Sjerp rammed the back of the family’s car, which had the two parents and their three children inside, while driving down a Maryborough street.

Bystanders who witnessed the handbag theft and assault took matters into their own hands and helped retrieve the woman’s bag.

Sjerp then tried to leave the scene in his car, but it had become entangled with the rear of the family’s car.

When one of the bystanders told him to get out of the car, Sjerp said “I’m going to jail, I’m f**ked”.

During his sentencing remarks, Michael Byrne said “no truer word could be spoken, at least in regards to the first part of that sentence”.

The court heard Sjerp, who returned a blood alcohol reading of .233 when police caught up with him that night, had been in a downward spiral after his relationship collapsed and he was unable to see his children.

He had turned to alcohol to cope.

Sjerp was “appalled”, not only because of his offending that night but by the way his life had “spiralled out of control due to alcohol misuse”.

The court heard the offending was similar to a different incident for which Sjerp had previously served time in prison.

On that occasion he had approached a car carrying children and pointed a firearm at the car/

Sjerp had spent time behind bars trying to rehabilitate and had an offer of work once he was out of prison.

Judge Byrne said the offending was “very serious”.

He said he hoped the victims of Sjerp’s crimes would “repair the emotional impact” his offending would have had on them.

Sjerp was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars.

Parole eligibility was set for February 2, 2022.

He was also disqualified from driving until October, 2026.