After a week-long police manhunt in October 2021, police arrested Darryl Trevor St Clair and charged him with aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and illegal use of a motor vehicle after he attacked Mr Phillips with a hammer while stealing his car.
During sentencing, the judge described St Clair’s attack on the elderly man as “cowardly and ghastly,” noting that Mr Phillips thought he was doing his attacker a favour by giving him a lift when the attack began.
St Clair arrived on the doorstep of Mr Phillips and asked if he could give him a lift to a local address. The elderly man then agreed, and the pair drove away in his white Ford Falcon.
Early into the drive, police believe that St Clair began striking Mr Phillips in the head with a hammer, which resulted in him crashing the car into a stationary vehicle on Stuart Road, South Plympton.
CCTV footage from a home in view of the crash site shows St Clair dragging Mr Phillips from his car and continuing to assault him before stealing his white Ford Falcon and fleeing the scene.
He also believes that St Clair, who is a career criminal that was released from prison just days before the attack, should have received a prison sentence of no less than 10 years for his crime.
“He should not be walking the street,” said Mr Phillips. “He should have got a minimum of 10 years.”
St Clair was captured after his own uncle recognised him in the shocking CCTV footage on TV and alerted police to his nephew’s identity.
“I’ve learned to understand that this country is going to the dogs,” said Mr Phillips.
“The legal profession is part of the problem. It’s not part of the solution, it’s part of the problem.”
He would have got 20 years in America! And these Wussy Judges try to tell us that the public agrees with their pathetic sentences?!