Motorist facing jail after pleading guilty to army truck 'reign of terror' near Taunton

• Watch the moment Marshall drove army truck was driven into the police blockade

A man is facing jail after admitting going on a rampage with a US Army truck and damaging nearly a dozen vehicles following a bust-up with his partner.

Geoffrey Marshall used the two-and-half tonne truck to drive at his partner’s home - wrecking her car in the process, a court heard.

The 41-year-old then went on a “reign of terror”, driving the green flatbed truck through a roadblock, destroying four Avon and Somerset Police vehicles and damaging many other cars parked nearby.

Marshall was only arrested after police negotiators persuaded him not to jump from a bridge over the M5 motorway, North Somerset Magistrates’ Court heard.

The incident began on the afternoon of Sunday 10 September after an argument between Marshall and his partner Kathryn Marshall Lam at their home in Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton.

They had been arguing over text messages she found on his mobile phone.

Prosecutor Paul Kelly said that Ms Marshall Lam feared for her safety and left the property before calling the police.

When officers arrived at their home in Station Road, they found the defendant already behind the wheel of the 1958 M35 truck.

“They tried to reason with the defendant through the window and asked him to get out of that large vehicle safely to talk to him about the allegation against him,” Mr Kelly said.

“These negotiations have failed and, instead of engaging with the police, this defendant has decided to start driving the vehicle.

“He has driven the vehicle into the property owned by Kathryn Marshall Lam, causing damage to the vehicle parked in front as well as quite a lot of structural damage to that property.

“He has then made off from that location and driven at police cars, causing extensive damage to four police vehicles who were trying to block him.

“He has then left the site and driven to the M5 motorway and got out of the vehicle and got on to a bridge that crosses the M5, crossed the barrier and has threatened suicide.

“Negotiations took place with the police, who have managed to get him down and arrested him for the matters before the court.

“There was damage to a large amount of parked vehicles, which are reflected in the charges before the court.

“During the argument with Ms Marshall Lam, he took her phone and smashed it, causing a small amount of glass to go into her hand.

“He has then thrown away her phone into a river.”

Mr Kelly described Marshall’s dangerous driving as “deliberate and prolonged” and said the sentencing guidelines carry a starting point of 18 months’ custody.

• Watch the scenes on the streets after the attack happened

“We strongly believe this matter needs to be committed to the Crown Court for sentence,” he said.

“The Crown suggest that what started as a reasonably low-level domestic dispute has escalated massively into what the Crown suggest is a reign of terror in relation to driving the large military vehicle, not only into the property of the complainant but also a large stretch of motorway involving four police vehicles and a number of civilian vehicles that were heavily damaged.

“Therefore, we would suggest that the defendant at this current stage is unable to act rationally.”

Marshall admitted 12 charges of criminal damage, including destroying four police vehicles and his partner’s Range Rover, as well as damaging her home, her iPhone, a council lamppost and four other cars.

He also admitted charges of dangerous driving and assault by beating.

Nigel Yeo, defending, did not apply for bail.

Magistrates remanded Marshall into custody, ordering pre-sentence reports and imposing an interim driving ban.

Presiding justice Trevor Morgan said: “We have heard everything that has been said and we are now arranging for you to appear at Taunton Crown Court on October 13 for sentencing for all of these matters you have pleaded guilty to.

“We are going to remand you into custody. This was a reign of terror with what was damaged by the vehicle you were driving.”