A car thief was “lucky to escape a murder charge” after mowing down a heavily pregnant woman and her mother in a bungled robbery with horrific consequences.

Scar-faced Darren Stubbs, of Mitcham Road, Croydon, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment after pleading to guilty to robbery, actual bodily harm, assault and dangerous driving.

Anna Swervyn, 54, was rammed and then dragged several yards by her son-in-law’s Audi A3 after Stubbs, who masqueraded as a car buyer, stole the keys and tried to make a quick getaway from the family’s home in Dorset Road, Mitcham.

The Polish grandmother was left with a pelvis broken in eight places – now held together with metal screws - and major organ damage for which she is still receiving treatment.

At Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Paul Dodgson berated Stubbs not only for committing the violent attack, but also for expressing “self-pity” in a letter of remorse he wrote to the court.

Stubbs, a 36-year-old father of three children, who has convictions for a string of robberies and violent offences over nearly twenty years, told the court he needed money to pay for drugs and repay a debt to loansharks.

Judge Dodgson said: “[Mrs Swervyn’s] injuries were dreadful. They included injuries so severe she was admitted to intensive care.

“You have had a lasting and malign influence on her life. You’re fortunate that you are not facing a murder charge.

He later added: “You say you needed money to find your drug misuse. It is right that you express regret in about one-eighth of your letter.

“The other seven-eighths is an explanation about what a hard time you have had and how these offences are going to affect your family.

You have had many years to reflect on that. It does not mitigate your position.”

Stubbs had contacted 33-year-old Beata Marek in reply to an online advertisement for a used car and arranged to meet her at her home in Dorset Road, Mitcham, on May 24, 2011.

After arriving and inspecting the car and its registration documents, he was then given the keys and offered to test drive it.

But before Mrs Marek could open the passenger door to take her seat, Stubbs had taken the driver’s seat, locked the doors and tried to quickly drive away.

In doing so he collided with Mrs Marek who was two weeks away from giving birth and sustained cuts and bruises from which she remains scarred nearly a year later.

Speaking to the Wimbledon Guardian yesterday, Mrs Marek revealed she was still emotionally damaged nine months after the attack and praised Merton Police for the help they gave her during the ordeal.

She said: “We want to thank the police for taking so much trouble to make us feel safe and give us information the whole time.

"We were really afraid at the time but I have to say we got a lot of support.

“At the time of the robbery, it was weird because I was almost numb and all I was worrying about was my mother. But after a few weeks I started being badly affected and I am still up and down today.

“Naturally I might trust strangers less from now on. Maybe I was naive but I just didn’t expect something like that to happen.”

Just three weeks after the incident, she gave birth to her second child, a healthy baby boy named Maximilian.

Detective Inspector Nick Mason, from Merton Police, said “Darren Stubbs endangered the lives of these two women, and an unborn child, just to steal a car.

“After running them down, he left them badly injured to make his getaway.

“This violent crime caused widespread disgust and anger in the community, which is reflected by the sentence imposed by the court.

“I commend the two victims for their courage, strength and determination, throughout this investigation.”

Stubbs was told he will serve a minimum of four-and-a-half years of his nine year sentence, minus the 261 days he has already been in prison on remand.

Clarification (February 28): Kingston Crown Court has confirmed that Stubbs will not serve a minimum nine year prison sentence, as had been initially reported. He will serve a minimum of half that sentence before facing a parole board who will determine whether he should serve the remainder of the sentence on licence.

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