Travelodge Digger Rampage Driver Jailed

A GROUNDWORKS LABOURER WHO went on a digger rampage, smashing up a Travelodge he had worked on in a row over unpaid wages, has been jailed.

John Manley caused £443,000 of damage to the newly built hotel in Liverpool in January 2019. His rampage was caught on mobile phone footage, which went viral and was viewed by millions around the world.

According to reports by the Liverpool Echo, the 35-year-old’s £600 wages hadn’t been paid for 12 days, which meant he had to go without food and electricity.

On the day following the incident, he admitted himself to Broadoak Hospital where he stayed until 14 February, with mental health problems and depression.

At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Aubrey criticised Manley’s lack of care for his colleagues. One fellow worker was temporarily blinded by spraying diesel as he removed the vehicle’s fuel line. The judge also said others were affected by the hotel’s opening being delayed by six weeks.

Manley was jailed for five years and four months and banned from driving for four years and one month.

Industry response

The incident struck a chord with many in the construction industry who had themselves been left unpaid for building work.

Shortly after the incident, a GoFundMe page was created to help fund Manley’s unpaid wages of £600, eventually receiving donations of £6,855.

Jack Wellon, who launched the fundraiser, said, “Many people in the building trade encounter similar situations week in, week out, and this guy has helped tradesmen and women to get paid on time and to stand up for themselves when it’s really needed.”