A man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after going a rampage with a 25-tonne digger and smashing up a truck and his boss’s £100,000 Range Rover.
Darren Verity, 53 who lives in Bradford was put away at Bradford Crown Court after a guilty plea to two charges of criminal damage which took place on September 28th last year.
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The CCTV and mobile phone footage were played in court and saw him destroying a top-spec Range Rover and then deliberately crashing into a Daf truck. (Continue reading to see the footage.)
Staff working at Thomas Crompton Demolition’s location on Neville Road, West Bowling witnessed the incident and ran outside to attempt to stop his rampage.
The court heard that Mr Crompton climbed into the cab of the digger and after struggling with Verity, managed to pull the emergency level, which put an end to his tirade.
Whilst being restrained on the ground, Verity shouted abuse and threatened to return and “burn the rest.”
The court also heard how the two vehicles were worth over £200,000 new.
Defending Verity, barrister Giles Bridge said that the incident was out of character and that Verity was suffering a personal crisis following two bereavements and that he had mental health issues. He went on to describe how Verity had downed a few cans of lager in the preceding morning.
Recorded Simon Eckersley jailed him describing the offence as a shocking and wanton act of premeditated vandalism.
Local newspaper the Telegraph and Argus described “Recorder Eckersley commended Mr Crompton’s bravery in stopping the digger.
The CCTV showed the vehicle’s bucket ripping the truck’s cab unit apart “like it was tin-foil,” he said.
He told Verity: “In my view the inevitable prison sentence must be served immediately.”
Mr Crompton said shortly after the wrecking spree that he feared Verity was heading towards the company’s fleet of 60 vehicles valued at £6 million.
He and staff members were in the office cabin at the depot at around 10.20am when they heard an almighty crash.
He saw his Range Rover bouncing into the air and the excavator moving over to, and smashing up, a £120,000 DAF tractor unit.
Videos of the rampage went viral on Facebook.
The well-known demolition firm has appeared on Discovery show Scrap Kings, and has been responsible for bringing down prominent buildings in the district such as Jacob’s Well and the former police station and court building in Bingley.”
Watch the footage here
