Digger operator faces jail for £50k drunk rampage in stolen JCB

A digger operator was remanded in custody over Christmas after admitting to stealing an old JCB and crashing it into a house and two cars before heading to McDonald’s for a burger.

Mark Holmes, 55, crashed the yellow heavy-duty machine into the modern brick home in the Blackwood area of ​​Gwent, south Wales, which belonged to victim Paula Brown in a family feud.

Neighbors watched in shock as the giant excavator backed up repeatedly before crashing into the home and hitting the porch.

Footage filmed by workers in a nearby van shows Holmes calmly holding his phone behind the wheel of the JCB as he carries out the attack.

Mark Holmes, 55, used the vintage JCB to crash into Paula Brown’s home in Gwent in November as part of an ongoing family feud

During the killing spree, Holmes also smashed into Ms Brown’s pictured Ford Focus and attempted to turn it on its roof

A voice is heard from the van saying, “Everything on film for you, okay, mate? Got everything on film. Damn idiot, what the fuck is he doing? Damn joke.’

Another voice says, ‘Get his registration.’

After the destruction, Holmes was seen reversing before driving off the modern property towards a McDonald’s restaurant.

A court heard Holmes also hit Ms Brown’s silver Ford Focus and blue Ford Fiesta while driving over the alcohol limit.

Holmes was eventually arrested a mile away after driving to a McDonalds drive-thru in Blackwood, Gwent, on November 8.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Holmes assaulted Mrs Brown during the JCB shooting amid a bitter family feud.

A Ford Fiesta pictured, also damaged by Holmes during the horrific incident in November

A group of nearby construction workers filmed the shocking incident that saw Holmes remanded in custody on January 12, 2023 for conviction

It is estimated that Holmes caused around £50,000 in damage during his drunken rampage

Holmes, of Penybryn, Caerphilly, has now pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle hijacking, property damage, dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.

He denied any actual bodily harm, but admitted the lower battery charge.

Judge Recorder Mark Cotter KC adjourned sentencing to January 12, 2023 for pre-sentence reports.

He said, ‘It is very much in your interest to be involved in the parole.’

In one condition, a man tried to object to Holmes while he continued his killing spree

Holmes was taken into custody and ordered a temporary driving ban.

In September 2021, a Turkish excavator driver rioted in a coal mine, causing extensive damage.

In July 2021, a German construction worker used a large Volvo excavator to cause more than £400,000 worth of damage to an apartment complex in a row over wages.

In September 2019, drunk Darren Verity used his digger to smash up his employer’s £100,000 Range Rover and a nearby truck. The shocking incident was captured on the company’s CCTV system, which was later played at Bradford Crown Court, before Verity’s 14-month jail term in November 2020.