Coen Richard Dorizzi: Why man who violently stole car from 89-year-old in Armadale could be free soon

A mentally ill methamphetamine user who assaulted an 89-year-old man in a carjacking outside his Armadale home could be free in months, largely due to “outrageous” conditions in Hakea Prison. Coen Richard Dorizzi first stole a mobile phone from a man aged in his 70s as he stood outside his Dawson Street home on the afternoon of November 5 last year. About 10 minutes later, the 33-year-old then targeted the older man as he parked his car at his house on nearby Benjamin Street. Dorizzi dragged the man from his vehicle before pushing him to the ground and stealing the car, which was found in Gosnells the following day when he was arrested. Both men were complete strangers to Dorizzi, and the carjacking victim was treated in hospital for injuries to his wrist and hip. District Court Judge Gary Massey said outcomes for elderly victims in similar cases had been catastrophic. “He hits the ground reasonably hard ... there was a potential for real harm,” Judge Massey said. “Thankfully in this case, it didn’t happen.” The judge said the attack was witnessed by the man’s horrified wife. Dorizzi, a father-of-one, had been a psychiatric in-patient months earlier but had not taken part in outpatient programs. He was first diagnosed with drug-induced psychosis and major depression, then schizophrenia, described as a “chaotic individual”. As Dorizzi watched on via videolink from the remand prison, Judge Massey noted he was being properly medicated behind bars, where he was employed and had expressed remorse for his crimes. If he stuck to that positive path and received NDIS funding upon release, his risk of reoffending would be reduced, the judge said. Judge Massey sentenced him to six months for the phone theft and two-and-a-half years for the carjacking, declining to make the terms cumulative due to Dorizzi’s profound childhood deprivation and “unacceptable conditions” at Hakea. These included lockdowns that only gave prisoners half an hour out of their cells per day. The term was backdated to Dorizzi’s arrest and with parole eligibility after 15 months, he could be free by February 6.