01 February 2023 , 11:56
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A drink driver stole a JCB digger to smash into his sister-in-law's house in an act of revenge.
Mark Holmes rammed the 15-ton digger into the front of the property while Paula Brown and her teenage son were inside.
Mrs Brown feared for her life but ran outside to stop him in his tracks and suffered a leg injury when she was hit by the digger.
Holmes, 56, caused £28,000 damage to the house and a further £10,000 to her two cars parked outside.
Neighbours caught Holmes' wrecking spree on camera and the shocking video went viral.
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Newport Crown Court heard Holms left the scene and drove straight to the nearest police station to tell officers: "I f***ing wrecked it".
Mark Holmes crashed the huge digger into the modern brick house belonging to sister-in-law Paula Brown in a family bust-up (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Prosecutor James Evans said Holmes caused up to £28,000 of damage to the property (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Prosecutor James Evans said: "He took his son's JCB without permission and drove it to the home of Paula Brown, his brother's ex-partner.
"The relationship between the defendant and Mrs Brown had been strained.
"She was sitting in the front room with her son when she became alarmed when she saw the JCB outside her home.
"There were numerous attempts by Holmes to damage the property and the cars by ramming them with the JCB."
Paula Brown was sitting inside her home with her son when Holmes crashed into her silver Ford Focus and blue Ford Fiesta (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Mrs Brown was forced to move into a local Air B&B after her home Caerphilly, Wales, was ruled unsafe to live in following the demolition job on November 6.
Holmes, of Penybryn, Caerphilly, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, battery, dangerous driving, and three counts of criminal damage.
The court heard his actions were "fuelled" by alcohol and he also admitted drink driving.
Mark Holmes said he 'completely lost self-control' (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Prosecutor James Evans said Holmes caused up to £28,000 of damage to the property (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Marian Lewis, defending, said Holmes had acted "out of character" and was a caring family man who was deeply sorry.
She said: "It was caused by a culmination of family problems and disagreements which had come to a head
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"He completely lost his self control and is truly remorseful."
The court heard he 'completely lost self control' after taking his son's digger without permission to go on the rampage (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Judge Duncan Bould let Holmes off with a 16-month suspended prison sentence and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
He told him: "This was a planned event and involved an element of revenge on your part and your position is aggravated because you were intoxicated.
"It passes the custody threshold but by a whisker I have reached the conclusion that I can suspend the sentence."
The court heard he smashed the JCB into the home of his brother's ex in a revenge attack (WALES NEWS SERVICE)Holmes, who has been in custody since committing the offences, was given a restraining order banning him from approaching Mrs Brown.
He was banned from driving for three years and must take an extended test before getting his licence back