A drug user who left a 66-year-old woman traumatised after a violent carjacking in a country town east of Perth has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail.
Fabian John James Logan had not slept for about three days while on a methylamphetamine binge and had developed delusions that his life was in danger when he carjacked the woman in a shopping centre car park on August 24 last year.
He had caught a train from Perth intending to travel to Southern Cross when he got off at Northam, believing passengers were watching him and posed a threat.
Having decided to steal a car and drive to Southern Cross, he approached the victim with his hand under his jacket, saying he had a knife and demanding she hand over the keys.
When she resisted and yelled for help, he bent her hand back and wrenched the keys from her.
Logan then sped off and was seen by police near Merredin driving at speeds of up to 160km/h.
He sped up as they tried to stop him, so stingers were deployed, puncturing the car's tyres before it crashed, ending up a write-off.
Police later retrieved an urn containing the victim's husband's ashes from the car and returned it to the woman.
Logan pleaded not guilty to charges including one count of aggravated armed robbery and one count of aggravated stealing of a motor vehicle.
District Court of Western Australia Judge Kevin Frederick Sleight said the victim, a polio survivor who lived with pain and muscle weakness, was extremely vulnerable after her husband's death.
"As a result of the struggle with you, these symptoms have been exacerbated," Judge Sleight said in handing down his sentence on Friday.
"Because of the mental trauma of the incident, she has required and received psychological treatment.
"She remains fearful of even going shopping."
The judge took into account Logan being on bail at the time of the offence, saying his drug-induced delusions explained his behaviour but provided no excuse and no mitigation whatsoever.
Logan will be eligible for parole.
