A man has been sentenced to jail for driving a stolen bulldozer into a local village pub following insults about his marriage falling apart. Daniel Morgan, aged 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 pub in December 2025. The court was informed that Morgan, a regular at the pub, became agitated and left after being taunted about his marital issues.
According to the court, Morgan had recently left his marital home and had become increasingly suspicious, wrongly believing his ex-partner had been unfaithful. Judge Celia Hughes sentenced Morgan to 40 months in prison and banned him from driving for three years and three months.
After leaving the pub in a fit of rage, Morgan, who had been consuming alcohol and cocaine, sent threatening messages to the pub’s landlord before stealing the bulldozer from his father’s nearby farm and driving it back to the pub. The judge praised Morgan’s father for warning the pub’s customers and preventing potential harm.
Morgan caused extensive damage amounting to over £22,000 to the pub before proceeding to his estranged wife’s residence, where he ran over another vehicle. His destructive spree was halted when his father, who had attempted to disable the bulldozer, intervened and disabled it.
Morgan, residing in Aberdare at the time, had previously admitted to charges of aggravated vehicle theft, dangerous driving, and causing criminal damage endangering lives. Judge Hughes emphasized the severe consequences of Morgan’s actions and the luck that no one was seriously injured during the incident.
Following his marriage breakdown, Morgan had been struggling with substance abuse and was residing with his father. Stephen Thomas, his defense attorney, mentioned that those who knew Morgan were shocked by his behavior, as they had always regarded him as a reliable and hardworking individual.
Ryan Randall from the Crown Prosecution Service condemned Morgan’s actions, highlighting the complete disregard for the safety of individuals at the pub. The deliberate act not only caused damage to property but also disrupted businesses, affecting the livelihoods of the pub landlord and farmer. The successful prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service led to Morgan’s guilty pleas.
