A man has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after stealing a bulldozer and driving it into a village pub in a cocaine-fuelled rage. Daniel Morgan, 35, from Aberdare, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, and criminal damage recklessly endangering life following the incident at The New Inn in Cefn Rhigos, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in December last year.
Attack Triggered by Taunts Over Marriage Breakdown
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that Morgan, a regular at the pub, flew into a rage after being taunted about the breakdown of his marriage. He had recently moved out of his marital home and had become increasingly paranoid, mistakenly suspecting his former partner of having an affair.
On the day of the incident, Morgan had been drinking and taking cocaine. He stormed out of the pub after being provoked, then texted the landlord, Christopher Common, warning: “Be careful, you can’t stop a dozer” and “It will be a drive-thru.” He then stole the bulldozer from his father’s nearby farm and drove it back towards the pub.
Father’s Heroic Intervention
Judge Celia Hughes praised Morgan’s father for his bravery, stating: “Your father, quite heroically in my opinion, reached the pub before you did and warned the publican to get his customers out.” Despite this, Morgan deliberately drove the bulldozer into the front porch, causing significant damage and instilling great fear in those inside.
The court heard that the damage to the building exceeded £22,000. Morgan then headed towards his estranged wife’s home, driving over another vehicle in the process. His rampage only ended when his father mounted a digger and used its bucket to smash the bulldozer’s dashboard, after previously attempting to cut the diesel pipe.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Judge Hughes told Morgan: “What you did on the night of this incident will have grave effects on you and others close to you for the rest of your life. You are extremely fortunate that no one was seriously injured.” In addition to the prison sentence, Morgan was disqualified from driving for three years and three months.
The court heard that Morgan had been drinking heavily and taking drugs following his marriage breakdown and was living with his father at the time. Stephen Thomas, defending, said those who knew Morgan were “genuinely shocked” by his behaviour, having known him as a “trustworthy” and “hard-working” man.
Ryan Randall, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Daniel Morgan 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. Strong evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service resulted in guilty pleas.”
