Somerset man sentenced for "reign of terror" in military truck
Geoff Marshall from Norton Fitzwarren drove the truck into his partner's home and then several police cars after an argument
Last updated 10th Nov 2023
A Somerset man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison with a further 12 months on licence, after going on what was described as a "reign of terror" in an armoured truck, last September.
Geoff Marshall (41) from Norton Fitzwarren damaged nearly a dozen vehicles during the incident on Sunday 10 September.
Following an argument with his partner over text messages, Marshall used the two-and-a-half tonne US Army truck to drive at his partner's home - wrecking her car in the process.
The 41-year-old then drove the green flatbed truck through a roadblock, destroying four Avon and Somerset Police vehicles and damaging many other cars parked nearby.
He was eventually arrested on a bridge over the M5.
During a hearing at North Somerset Magistrates Court in September, Paul Kelly for the prosecution said the argument started at the home Marshall shared with his partner, because of text messages found on his mobile phone from another woman.
Prosecutor Kelly said that fearing for her safety, Ms Marshall Lam left the property and called the police.
When officers arrived at their home in Station Road, they found the defendant already behind the wheel of the 1958 M35 truck.
Mr Kelly said: "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.
"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, and crossed the barrier.
"Negotiations took place with the police, who have managed to get him down and arrested him for the matters before the court."
Marshall's dangerous driving was described as "deliberate and prolonged", with the prosecution adding that what started as a relatively low level domestic dispute "escalated massively".
Marshall admitted 11 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.