Man jailed for driving bulldozer into pub in 'revenge attack'

A man has been jailed after stealing a bulldozer and driving it into a pub while it was open to the public.

Daniel Morgan, 35, from Rhigos, had pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and criminal damage recklessly endangering life.

On the evening of 4 December, police were called to reports that a bulldozer had driven over a parked car and into The New Inn, in the hamlet of Cefn Rhigos, Rhondda Cynon Taf, destroying the front porch and outside walls, causing £22,000 of damage.

Sentencing Morgan to three years and four months in prison, Judge Celia Hughes said it was a "revenge attack" with the "intention to cause criminal damage".

The court heard he had been drinking at The New Inn when he became angry about comments made about the breakdown of his marriage.

He then left and made threats over text including to the pub's owner Christopher Common, saying "be careful, you can't stop a 'dozer" and "it will be a drive thru".

Common said he did not believe the threats were real and said Morgan had been dealing with "personal issues" - but Morgan had left the pub to go to his father's farm to steal a bulldozer.

At 20:40 BST Phillip Morgan saw the bulldozer being driven through the yard, and got into his own car to follow his son.

CCTV showed that as Daniel Morgan left the farm in the bulldozer, he drove directly into his brother's car, shunting it and flipping it over.

The court heard that Phillip Morgan made his way to the pub to warn Common and his wife about his son's behaviour, telling them to get people to leave saying "he couldn't stop him".

As members of the public left, Daniel Morgan drove across the pavement and into the pub's porch, causing £22,000 of damage.

He then drove away and towards the property where his estranged wife and children were.

Phillip Morgan tried to warn the family before attempting to stop his son by blocking his way with a truck and trailer.

The court heard that instead of stopping, Daniel Morgan drove the bulldozer over the vehicles and continued on.

He was only stopped after his father got into a digger and managed to damage the bulldozer cab enough to force it to stop.

After being arrested Daniel Morgan was found to be "one and a half times over the legal limit for driving" and bleeding from his head and hands.

Phillip Morgan later told police he was "shocked" by his son's behaviour, saying his "son needs help".

A fundraiser for the repairs at The New Inn was started shortly after, and Common, the owner, told police he thought the incident was "totally out of character for Daniel".

During his sentencing at Merthyr Crown Court Judge, Celia Hughes said at the time of the offence Daniel Morgan was "abusing cocaine" and "drinking about six pints a day".

"You acted out of revenge", she said, adding that "considerable damage was caused".

The judge also commended the "bravery" of Phillip Morgan, as well as the actions of other people.

Judge Celia Hughes said she did "accept his remorse" and awarded Daniel Morgan credit for his guilty plea, also noting that he had since taken steps to deal with his substance abuse.

She said there was previous evidence of a "strong work ethic" and of him being a "family man".

"Since the breakdown of your marriage you had not had contact with your two children," which contributed to the substance abuse.

Morgan was sentenced to 40 months in prison for criminal damage and recklessly endangering life, as well as 12 months for aggravated vehicle taking and the same for dangerous driving, both to run concurrently.

He has also been disqualified from driving for three years and three months.

Ryan Randall from the Crown Prosecution Service said Morgan had showed "a complete disregard for the safety of other people who could have been in the pub".

"This wasn't an accidental collision, but a threatened action which was then carried out, not only damaging a building and vehicles, but stopping a business from trading and impacting on the livelihoods of the landlord and farmer," he said.