Farmhand cleared of trying to murder policeman with bulldozer

A farmhand has been cleared of attempting to murder a policeman by crushing his van with a stolen 16-tonne bulldozer.

Stephen Morgan, 28, allegedly ran riot at a mid Wales firing range earmarked for the disposal of slaughtered carcasses at the height of the foot and mouth crisis.

A Swansea Crown Court jury took just three hours to reach a unanimous verdict of not guilty of attempting to murder Pc John Stone following the three-week trial.

Morgan was also cleared of two charges of damaging property with intent to endanger life.

He was also found not guilty on three separate counts of damaging property and being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

But the jury will return to their deliberations tomorrow after failing to reach verdicts on two outstanding matters.

One charge, of damaging property with intent to endanger life, relates to Pc Stone.

The second charge, damaging property while being reckless as to whether life was endangered, relates to a tent at an army checkpoint.

Morgan, of Llandovery, was accused of creating a major panic during an anti foot-and-mouth protest at the Epynt firing range, in Sennybridge, near Brecon, in April.

In a few minutes of alleged mayhem an army check point was destroyed, a police van shunted aside, a Land Rover almost written off and a van with a policeman inside crushed.