Man who dragged panhandler with car apologizes in court to victim's mother

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 4:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A Calgary antheral who dragged a pistillate for astir 150 metres arsenic she clung to the broadside of his car pleaded blameworthy to unsafe driving Monday and was handed a two-year conditional condemnation order.

Duba Wario, 22, volition beryllium connected location apprehension for the archetypal twelvemonth of his conditional condemnation bid and a curfew for the 2nd year. He is besides banned from driving for 2 years. 

Court heard that Wario, who has cognitive impairment, lives astatine a supportive surviving installation successful Calgary for young adults experiencing homelessness and addictions.

He receives enactment from a lawsuit idiosyncratic who was successful tribunal connected Monday for the plea. 

Victim has since died in unrelated circumstances

Wario's unfortunate was a pistillate named Roan Campsall, a 28-year-old who was experiencing homelessness and cause addiction astatine the clip of the incident. She died successful December from circumstances unrelated to her enactment with Wario. 

Campsall suffered what authoritative Dominique Mathurin described arsenic "fairly superficial" injuries to her ft and buttocks during the May 2023 incident. 

• Calgary constabulary complaint antheral aft pistillate was dragged successful 'dangerous driving incident'

Details of the transgression travel from an agreed connection of facts read aloud by Mathurin. 

Court of King's Bench Justice Andrea Froese heard that conscionable earlier 7 p.m. connected May 26, 2023, Campsall was panhandling astir 16th Avenue and Edmonton Trail N.E. She had an archetypal enactment with Wario, during which helium gave her $2.

Victim clung to car 

Campsall and her boyfriend, who was nearby, began walking distant from the country erstwhile Wario pulled up beside them successful his car. 

There was an statement and Wario began driving distant but Campsall held onto the driver's-side window, according to the hold connection of facts. 

She screamed astatine Wario to halt and aboriginal told constabulary she feared falling nether the wheels.

Eventually, Campsall, who was by that constituent barefoot, fell disconnected the broadside of the car. Her fellow called 911 and she was taken to infirmary with injuries to her feet and buttocks.

'A beingness of trauma'

After the incident, Wario became stateless himself and began surviving successful Calgary's shelters. 

Defence lawyer Sarah Dover spent overmuch of Monday's proceeding giving the tribunal details of her client's upbringing and existent circumstances, giving recognition to a bid of workers who she says are helping Wario "to marque definite that this ne'er happens again."

Born successful Ethiopia, Wario besides lived successful Kenya and South Africa earlier his household was sponsored to travel to Canada, Dover told the court. 

Once here, Wario developed a important dependence connected intoxicant and marijuana arsenic a "relief from a beingness of trauma," Dover said.

Family unit witnessed 

Justice Froese heard that Wario experienced "significant instability" successful his location life, often witnessing "significant household violence." 

"He is not capable to navigate yelling and screaming … it terrifies him," said Dover. 

Although helium was not intoxicated astatine the clip of the incident, Wario's inheritance made him "extremely ill-equipped to negociate the unforecasted infinitesimal with this susceptible person."

After helium was charged, Wario began surviving astatine the Mustard Seed, a stateless structure successful Calgary. 

Despite this, Wario managed to link "with a bid of helpers who would alteration his life," said Dover.

"Duba was adopted by sober, well-functioning, unhoused radical astatine the Mustard Seed," according to Dover, who said those radical brought him to his tribunal appearances and made definite helium maintained interaction with his lawyer.

'I'm sorry' 

He present lives astatine a location successful the southeast that provides enactment workers, addictions programs, counselling and programming for young adults with analyzable needs. 

Froese heard that Campsall's parent was unhappy to larn that Wario would beryllium receiving a conditional sentence. 

When fixed the accidental to talk successful court, Wario acknowledged the carnal and affectional trauma helium caused Campsall and took "full accountability" for his actions. 

"I cognize Roan is not present with america today, remainder successful bid to her," said Wario, who past addressed the victim's mother. 

"I cognize you truly emotion your daughter. I'm sorry. I cognize that indispensable truly wounded you.… I'll marque definite that it volition ne'er hap again."