Man jailed for driving stolen bulldozer across Wolverhampton

A man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after stealing a 24-tonne bulldozer and driving it through Wolverhampton city centre, before smashing into a Royal Mail lorry, commandeered by police to block the road. The D6 Caterpillar, which the court was told was worth £385,000, was taken from an address in Staffordshire by Darren Coffey, on 8 November 2025. The 41-year-old, from Sandwell, removed the vehicle's tracker in the process and drove it through Wolverhampton in a bid to target a business with which he was involved in an ongoing civil dispute, the court heard. Handing down the sentence on Wednesday, Judge Perry said the offences were "too serious" for a community order. "You do represent a risk, and in my view the seriousness of the offence means that the only appropriate punishment can be immediate custody, I'm going to have to send you to prison today," he told Coffey, who could be heard crying in the dock. Coffey previously pleaded guilty to nine charges, including dangerous driving, criminal damage, drink driving and threatening to destroy property. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that after taking the bulldozer and removing the tracker, Coffey admitted to driving it