Timothy Stewart: Dubbo robber sentenced for attack on woman
A 23-year-old man knocked an elderly woman to the ground while she was putting shopping bags in her car before leading police on a number of bizarre chases through the streets of Dubbo.
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A Dubbo man who left an elderly woman badly battered and bruised after a shocking daylight robbery in the city’s main street has been sentenced to six years behind bars.
Timothy Stewart, 23, had only been out of jail for 12 days when he came up from behind and hit the woman in the head while she was packing shopping bags into the boot of her Nissan Pulsar on Macquarie Street.
The Dubbo District Court heard that after Stewart pushed the woman’s neck and chest, she fell to the ground while he took off in her car while the boot was still open.
Police quickly located Stewart driving around Dubbo in the stolen car and he led them on a high-speed pursuit across the city.
The court heard that during the pursuit on January 21, Stewart did 80km/h in 50km/h zones and drove through a four-lane intersection on Cobra Street on the wrong side of the road.
After police terminated the pursuit because of safety concerns, Stewart travelled to Geurie where he dumped the woman’s car and stole a man’s Toyota Hilux.
Stewart ended up back in Dubbo where he again led police on a high-speed pursuit and reached speeds of up to 100km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Police had to terminate their pursuit of Stewart a second time because he started to drive on the wrong side of the road again.
Two days later, the Toyota Hilux was discovered abandoned on Rosedale Road at Minore and police found Stewart loitering outside a shopping centre.
When he noticed police, the court heard Stewart removed a knife from his pants and tossed it onto the ground.
He was arrested, with his fingerprints found on the Pulsar and DNA throughout the Hilux.
Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated robbery with wounding, two counts of failing to stop during a police pursuit and one count of taking a conveyance without the owner’s consent.
Judge Nanette Williams said Stewart left the woman he attacked in need of four staples and with cuts to her head — along with black eyes, bruising behind her right ear and soreness to her tail bone and buttocks.
“He does have a lengthy criminal history,” the judge said.
“This offence was committed whilst he as on parole.”
Judge Williams said Stewart had previously received convictions for assault, intimidation and police pursuits.
“The victim was hit from behind, she would not have seen this coming,” she said.
“She did not have the opportunity to defend herself from this.”
Stewart had a history of drug use and had injected upwards of three points of a ice a day and took oxycontin when found it hard to sleep, Judge Williams told the court.
“I see the plea of guilty as a pragmatic demonstration of remorse,” she said.
The court heard Stewart was diagnosed with a language disorder that affected his speech as a child, along with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and a mild intellectual disability which meant he had impaired reasoning and problem-solving skills.
As a child, Stewart was raised in an environment where drugs were commonly used and the use of violence as a tool to solve problems was legitimised, Judge Williams said.
Stewart was remorseful and wanted to find work as a bricklayer and start a family, Judge Williams said.
“Given the difficulties in his early life, I think those goals show considerable insight,” she said.
Stewart was sentenced to six years in jail, with a three-and-a-half year non-parole period imposed.
Judge Williams directed Stewart to serve the sentence in an additional support unit for offenders with disabilities at Long Bay Jail, where he will get access to programs designed to reduce his risk of reoffending.
Stewart will be eligible for parole in July 2023.