A High Wycombe man picked up a car with a forklift truck and used it as a “battering ram” on his father’s house, a court has heard.

Graeme Stallwood Jnr, 49, of Chairborough Road, is on trial accused of putting his father’s life in danger by damaging his home in Wycombe Road, Studley Green, while he was still inside.

The court heard from prosecutor Adam Williams that on October 23, 2021, Stallwood stole a JCB forklift truck from his place of work, Graham Construction, and drove it to the home of Graham Stallwood Snr, his father.

The prosecutor told the court that Stallwood Jnr used the car as a “battering ram”, smashing the back window and cracking the wall, before dropping the car and driving off.

Graeme Stallwood Jnr has pleaded not guilty to a charge of damaging property being reckless as to whether life is endangered. He denies the charge against him.

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Mr Williams told the court that Stallwood Jnr’s “reckless” act, while he was under the influence of alcohol, could have caused the entire house to collapse, potentially endangering the older man’s life.

Speaking at court, Mr Stallwood Snr described what was going through his mind when the incident took place.

He said: “I thought he was coming through the house. I thought he was going to put the car inside.

“I thought it was coming for me.

“When I saw it coming towards me, I thought that was it, really. I thought it was going to hit me.”

Mr Williams alleged that the damage done by Stallwood Jnr’s act put his father’s life in daner, and that the improvised “battering ram” could have caused the whole house to come down.

The damage, the court heard, cost around £5,000 to repair.

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Mr Williams said: “It was through sheer luck that the house didn’t crumble when the car was used in that way.

“Just because it didn’t happen doesn’t mean that the defendant was not reckless in using the vehicle in that way to endanger the life of the occupant, because quite easily another situation could have arisen.”

Pictures and video of the vehicle, a black Nissan Navara pickup truck, were shown in the court, displaying the damage – it had multiple dents and gouges on it and one of the tyres was deflated.

The court heard that the forklift arm went through the tyre when Stallwood Jnr picked it up.

Defence barrister, Rory Gordon, suggested that Stallwood Jnr did not fully pick up the vehicle during the incident, and that his father did not fear for his life while it unfolded.

He said: “I suggest that you knew your life was not in danger, you knew you were not in peril.

In response, Mr Stallwood Snr said: “I was in danger, he’s a very dangerous person.”

The trial continues.

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