A THIEF who pushed his victim out of a speeding car as he tried to retrieve a phone that had been stolen from him has been handed a suspended sentence.
Terence Maughan, 23, of the Runcorn Transit Site in Warrington, Cheshire, drove off with his victim hanging out of the car before pushing him out of the vehicle into the middle of the road.
At Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, Maughan was jailed for 10 months, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation.
"This must have been an extremely upsetting ordeal for the victim who was simply trying to sell a phone," said Detective Inspector James Oakton of Nottinghamshire Police.
Dragged along the road
The victim had put a Samsung phone for up for sale via an online marketplace and was contacted by a man using a social media profile with the name of Ben Hough.
They arranged to meet at the victim's home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire on January 25, 2023.
The purported buyer, now known to be Maughan, arrived at the property at around 7pm and they quickly agreed a price.
Maughan insisted £620 had been transferred to the victim's account and showed the seller his phone screen of an Irish bank account with the details.
However, after several minutes, the victim's account did not show that the funds had been transferred, so he suggested he drop the phone off later.
Maughan refused and left the house with the phone in his pocket, leaving the empty box.
The victim attempted to stop Maughan leaving by blocking the driver's side door of his car.
Maughan pushed past and got into the car with the victim attempting to grab the phone out of his pocket.
After a struggle on the driveway, the victim ended up with his right arm stuck in the steering wheel and left arm around Maughan.
Maughan started the car and set off, with the victim being dragged along the road.
He slowed down after the victim pleaded with him to stop, but then sped up again before pushing him out of the vehicle and into the middle of the road.
The victim suffered painful injuries to the right side of his body following the incident and required hospital treatment.
Maughan was traced by detectives using a fingerprint left on the box of the mobile phone.
He pleaded guilty to theft and dangerous driving and at his sentencing on Monday, was also banned from driving for 12 months.
'Incredibly reckless'
"Thankfully, [the victim] did not suffer serious injury after this incident but that was no thanks to Terence Maughan," said DI Oakton.
"It was incredibly reckless and dangerous to speed off in the way he did, knowing the victim could be dragged along the road and potentially get trapped underneath the vehicle.
"I would urge people using online marketplaces to take great care before meeting other buyers and sellers and take all possible precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime."
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