Darren Coffey’s rampage got here to a halt when he ploughed right into a Royal Mail van getting used as an impromptu roadblock by police.
Darren Coffey drives stolen bulldozer via Wolverhampton
A disgruntled storage buyer has been jailed after stealing a 24-tonne bulldozer and happening an £8,000 destruction spree throughout Wolverhampton following a dispute over his automotive. Darren Coffey, 41, was beneath the affect of medicine and alcohol when he took the £385,000 Caterpillar machine from his employer on November 8 final yr.
He then drove it on a rampage lasting practically three hours throughout town, inflicting widespread chaos between 5.30pm and eight.15pm. Wolverhampton Crown Courtroom heard Coffey’s harmful run solely got here to an finish after he smashed right into a Royal Mail lorry, which police had commandeered and positioned as a roadblock in an try to cease him.
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The bulldozer being pushed by Darren Coffey (Picture: SWNS)
Earlier than that, he had torn via Wolverhampton alongside main routes together with the A454, town ring highway, Willenhall Highway and Willenhall city centre, inflicting disruption and harm alongside the way in which.
Decide David Perry stated a custodial sentence was “unavoidable”, describing how Coffey brought about “untold chaos” to highway customers. He stated Coffey reversed into oncoming visitors, at one stage collided with police autos, and repeatedly drove on the improper facet of the carriageway.
The choose defined that senior officers authorised blocking the route with a HGV, resulting in a Royal Mail trailer being positioned throughout the highway. Coffey then used the bulldozer to push it out of the way in which, inflicting additional harm.
The choose stated: “The machine itself wanted £680 price of repairs and the entire harm was simply over £8,000. I’ve seen the video footage.”
In complete Darren Coffey brought about £8,000 in harm (Picture: SWNS)
He added: “You signify a danger, and due to the seriousness of that danger, solely fast custody is justified. The offence is so critical that solely custody could be justified.”
Coffey sobbed within the dock as he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
The courtroom heard he had been in dispute with Willenhall Autos over a automobile and had threatened to burn it down and “smash it up” earlier than the incident. After stealing the bulldozer from close to the Staffordshire border, he even known as police saying he was “heading there with two petrol cans”.
Coffey, of Wolverhampton, admitted harmful driving, aggravated automobile taking, drink driving, driving with no licence or insurance coverage, failing to cease, felony harm, and making threats to destroy property.
The courtroom additionally heard he has a historical past of cocaine and hashish abuse, together with earlier convictions for drink driving, felony harm and motoring offences, though he had not been in hassle since 2015.
His defence barrister stated he suffers from PTSD and had sought assist for drug points, asking for a suspended sentence, which was refused.
Coffey, a father-of-four who moved to the UK from Eire 17 years in the past, should serve not less than 40% of his sentence earlier than launch on licence.
He’ll then be supervised for 12 months. He has additionally been banned from driving for 3 years and 9 months and should take an prolonged take a look at earlier than getting again behind the wheel.
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