A desperate robber, who dragged an 81-year-old woman down the road “like a rag doll”, implored a judge to give him the maximum sentence.
David Welsh, 22, appeared via video link from prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, May 4, and made the highly unusual plea after interrupting his sentencing hearing to apologise for his behaviour. The court heard Welsh, from Walton, relapsed into drug use after his father’s cancer diagnosis and tried to grab the pensioner’s handbag so he could feed his habit.
The victim determinedly hung onto her bag, which was wrapped around her body, despite him kicking her as she lay on the road between two parked cars. People nearby heard her screams for help and came to her aid. Welsh was detained and arrested.
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His lawyer, John Rowan, who has represented him over several years, told the court about Welsh’s appalling upbringing and how he had ended up in the dock again. He said: “When I saw him he was at the lowest I have ever seen him. He could not believe what he had done.”
At this point Welsh interrupted over the video link to ask if he could speak and said, "I just want to say everything that I have done to this woman and family is absolutely no way acceptable. I was at the lowest of the low and I couldn’t help myself and I can’t apologise enough to this woman and her family for putting her through so much pain.
"I’m asking the court if you can give me the maximum sentence for what I have done."
Judge Gary Woodhall accepted that Welsh was genuinely remorseful and took into account his "tragic, traumatic extreme upbringing”. He pointed out that it did not excuse his behaviour, but his duty was to impose the least possible sentence commensurate with his offending and jailed him for three years and eight months.
Welsh, of Vanbrugh Road, Walton, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery. Bernice Campbell, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened at about 4pm on February 10 this year as the victim was walking along Priory Road, Anfield, near her home after shopping in the city centre.
Welsh came up behind the pensioner and barged into her demanding money, and despite her telling him she did not have any he repeated his demands. Ms Campbell said: "She held onto her bag more tightly and the defendant started to become really angry and used both his hands to push her over and she fell onto a front door step".
She hurt her back and wrist and told him she was in pain and he was hurting her but he continued to pull her and her handbag. He ignored what she was saying.
Ms Campbell said: "He pulled her so he was literally dragging her along the pavement and eventually ending up between two parked cars. He had pulled her like a rag doll.
"She managed to held onto her bag but eventually he managed to pull the strap over her head while she was lying on the floor. He was kicking her and shouting at her to let go of her bag but she did not. She was screaming for help causing people from houses nearly to out to assist her."
Ms Campbell said that while they were helping the distressed pensioner two men stopped their vehicle and ran after Welsh and the police were called. The victim has since told how the "mental damage will last longer than the physical injuries" and left her now afraid to leave the home where she has lived for 50 years.
Mr Rowan said the defendant has an emotional unstable personality disorder as well as bi polar disorder and has self-harmed and demonstrated suicidal behaviour. He explained he had had dealings with him since Welsh was 15 and said he had one of the worst childhoods of anyone he had met.
Welsh had been put in care aged 22 months because of extreme neglect, domestic violence and unacceptable hygiene conditions. A social worker found a crack cocaine pipe at his siblings feet.
He went back home briefly but was taken back into care when he was seven by which time he was able to describe the process of taking heroin. He had six foster placements in four months and by the age of 15 was on the streets and homeless.
He started using drugs but after being jailed for 16 months in 2018 for burglary and witness interference he left prison in a much more positive state and on medication. His mum, who dealt with her own drug problems, gave him a home and he enrolled on a college course with a view to working with animals “and things were looking up for him after his appalling childhood,” said Mr Rowan.
His father was diagnosed with cancer with a poor prognosis. Mr Rowan said: “He stopped going to college and his mental health took a nose dive.”
He fell back into the cycle of taking drugs and not taking his medication. When he was arrested from the attempted robbery he tested positive for heroin and crack. Mr Rowan added: "It is absolutely no excuse for his appalling behaviour that day."
Judge Woodhall said that Welsh, who has 13 convictions for 26 offences including violence, had left his victim, "Shaken, scared and upset". He said that all the good work done during his only previous jail sentence was undone by his father’s cancer diagnosis though Welsh himself had told him that was no excuse.
Welsh had left prison with skills to avoid re-offending. Judge Woodhall said: “The court sincerely hopes you can use your time in custody on this occasion in same way and you can start to rebuild your life in the community."
