A 35-year-old man drove a bulldozer into the front of a village pub in Cefn Rhigos, Rhondda Cynon Taf, after becoming enraged over suspicions that his estranged wife was involved with regulars.
The Incident Unfolds
Daniel Morgan, a frequent patron at The New Inn, consumed alcohol and cocaine before the December rampage. Taunted about his recent marriage breakdown, he stormed out, sending threatening messages to landlord Christopher Common: “Be careful, you can’t stop a dozer” and “it will be a drive-thru.”
Morgan then stole a vintage Hanomag D600 bulldozer from his father’s nearby farm without permission. His father, Phillip, witnessed him plow through an Isuzu truck and alerted relatives, who rushed to warn pub staff and evacuate customers.
Damage and Rampage
Morgan crashed the bulldozer into the pub’s porch, inflicting over £22,000 in damage and £7,000 in lost weekend revenue. Phillip heroically tried to disable the engine by cutting the diesel pipe.
The destruction continued as Morgan headed toward his estranged wife’s home, driving over another vehicle. Family members, including his uncle and cousin, blocked the road with a digger. Phillip ultimately stopped the bulldozer by smashing the dashboard with the digger’s bucket, leaving Morgan covered in blood.
Arrest and Court Hearing
Police found Morgan heavily intoxicated, bleeding from head and hand wounds, in the driver’s seat. At the hospital, he told officers: “This is all because my ex won’t let me see the kids.” He admitted seeing red while crushing family vehicles.
Landlord Common described Morgan as usually helpful but acting strangely due to personal issues and mental health struggles. Morgan had escalated to six pints daily and £100 of cocaine amid the marital split.
Sentencing
At Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, Judge Celia Hughes sentenced Morgan, of Aberdare, to 40 months in prison and a three-year-three-month driving ban. He pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, and criminal damage recklessly endangering life.
Judge Hughes praised the family’s bravery: “Your father, quite heroically, reached the pub before you and warned the publican to get customers out. You deliberately drove it into the front porch, causing significant damage and great fear.”
She noted: “What you did will have grave effects on you and others close to you for the rest of your life. You are extremely fortunate no one was seriously injured.”
Defense counsel Stephen Thomas highlighted shock from Morgan’s community, known as trustworthy and hardworking. Prosecutor Ryan Randall emphasized the deliberate threat and its impact on safety, business, and livelihoods.
