Stephen Morgan : 'Endangered' Pc Stone

On Thursday, he was cleared of recklessly endangering life by driving over a tent with an army soldier inside.

But he was found guilty of taking the vehicle and driving it without regard for human life, endangering the life of Pc Stone.

Throughout the trial, Morgan insisted he had no intention of injuring anyone and had no idea he had crushed the police van until he was on top of it, having flattened the vehicle.

The officer told the court he could only "hope for the best" as the giant earth mover crawled, inch by inch, over his van.

The officer escaped with a broken ankle and bruises after Morgan's two-mile journey.

Drunken driver

Morgan, of Bronallt, Llandovery, was over the drink drive limit after spending the night in the pub, where he drank eight pints.

The judge, Mr Justice Roderick Evans, said: "No matter how high the feeling in the area, there was no possible justification for what you did.

Pc John Stone: Terrified

On Tuesday, the jury also cleared Morgan of two charges of damaging property with intent to endanger life, when he drove a bulldozer during a protest against animal carcass burials in mid Wales.

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

Morgan has admitted aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving, but he successfully denied the charge of attempted murder.

Disease protest

He was one of up to 150 protesters trying to blockade the army range at Sennybridge, Powys, which had been earmarked as a disposal site.

He said he believed it was better to have broken the law than to have allowed diseased carcasses to ruin the Welsh countryside and had refused offers of work on the burial ground for that reason.

Morgan also denied damaging seven vehicles with intent to endanger the lives of their occupants.

He also said he had no idea he had mown down an army checkpoint.