Thief who dragged delivery driver along road at 30mph locked up for four years

Ronnie Huarns, aged 20, already had 18 previous convictions and was on bail for stealing a car when he took the delivery driver's Mercedes in Wolverhampton on June 4.

Driver Ivaylo Georgiev Petrov, 28, tried to stop the van being taken and was dragged along Oxbarn Road, in Bradmore.

He suffered a brain bleed, fractures below his right eye socket, his arms and ankle, along with bruising all over his body during the incident which was partially captured by security cameras.

Mr Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court that the 28-year-old victim was delivering in an address at 1.15pm when Huarns and another male arrive at the scene in a van.

"Mr Petrov hears the engine being started and began to sprint back to it in the hope that he might stop it from being stolen," Mr Shakoor said.

"He runs across the road to the driver's side. This defendant decided to drive off increasing his speed.

"He was described as going at 30mph while Mr Petrov remains hanging on the door.

"He is dragged along the road having lost his footing and his shoe. This defendant begins to swerve left and right in an attempt to shake him off.

"Mr Petrov said he thought he was going to hit other cars on the road and he feared that he would be killed. He fell and hit the concrete and describes being run over by the rear wheels.".

Mr Shakoor told the court that Huarns was on bail following his arrest for stealing a Toyota valued at £21,000 when he stole the van.

The defendant had 18 previous convictions from 14 offences including 15 thefts.

Huarns, of Hart Road, Wednesfield, admitted offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, and having no insurance.

He also admitted stealing the Toyota on November 23 last year at Vantage dealership, in Bilston Road.

The court heard the father-to-be had been released from youth detention, after serving a 22-month sentence for a previous offence, five days before he was filmed with two other males leaving in the Toyota Yaris which was stolen from the back of a delivery lorry.

The vehicle was subsequently recovered in the Blakenhall area.

In mitigation, Mr Lee Masters, said Huarns and his family "conceded that he had an appalling record" for a 20-year-old.

For the latest string of offences he was sentenced to a total of four years at a young offenders' institution. He was must serve half before being released on licence.

Sentencing Huarns, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: "You have caused life-changing injuries. You showed disregard to the danger being caused to others.

"Causing a serious injury by dangerous driving must be one of the worst types of such offending setting the level of sentencing after trial."

Huarns was also given an extended disqualification and was banned from the road for 60 months. He must take an extended test in future.