A man has been sentenced to prison for driving a stolen bulldozer into a local pub following insults about his marriage falling apart. Daniel Morgan, 35, was at The New Inn in Cefn Rhigos, Rhondda Cynon Taf, when he became enraged and crashed the vehicle into the front of the establishment in December 2025. The court was informed that Morgan, a regular patron at the pub, became agitated and left after being taunted about his marital issues.
Having recently separated from his spouse, Morgan became increasingly suspicious that his ex-partner was involved in an affair, leading to heightened paranoia. Judge Celia Hughes handed down a 40-month prison sentence to Morgan and banned him from driving for three years and three months.
Following his departure from the pub in an agitated state, Morgan, under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, sent threatening messages to the pub landlord before stealing the bulldozer from his father’s farm and driving it back to the pub. Despite his father’s efforts to intervene, Morgan purposely crashed the bulldozer into the pub, causing significant damage and instilling fear in those present.
The court heard that Morgan caused over £22,000 in property damage before proceeding to his estranged wife’s residence, damaging another vehicle on the way. His destructive spree was halted when his father managed to disable the bulldozer. Morgan, residing in Aberdare at the time, had previously admitted to charges of aggravated vehicle theft, dangerous driving, and criminal damage endangering lives.
Judge Hughes remarked on the severe consequences of Morgan’s actions, stating that the impact would be long-lasting for him and those close to him. Fortunately, no serious injuries resulted from the incident. Morgan’s behaviors were attributed to heavy drinking and drug use following his marital breakdown, while he was living with his father.
In his defense, Stephen Thomas stated that those who knew Morgan were astonished by his actions, as they had perceived him as a reliable and hardworking individual. Ryan Randall from the Crown Prosecution Service criticized Morgan for endangering pub-goers and disrupting businesses, emphasizing the deliberate nature of his destructive acts. The Crown Prosecution Service’s strong evidence led to Morgan’s guilty pleas.