By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 12:13, Wednesday, 29 August 2012

A man who deliberately crashed his car into a house after the break-up of his marriage has been warned he will almost certainly go to prison.

Adrian Mounsey, 39, drove his car at the house in Standingstone Heights, Wigton, on June 3 knowing that his wife and mother-in-law were among the people inside.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to damaging the house while being reckless as to whether people’s lives were endangered.

His not guilty plea to a more serious charge – damaging the house with intent to endanger the lives of the people inside – was accepted by the prosecution.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Dick Binstead told the court the lesser charge, specifying recklessness rather than an intention to cause harm, was “more appropriate”.

The charge stated that Mounsey caused damage to the property’s front wall, fixtures, fittings, furniture and electrical appliances.

Mounsey, who once served in the Armed Forces and was of “previously unblemished character”, also pleaded guilty to carrying a knife in a public place soon after the crash.

His barrister David Birrell told the judge: “He knows that this is a serious matter and a sentence of imprisonment is likely.”

He applied for bail, saying Mounsey’s circumstances had changed since June, when Carlisle’s top judge Paul Batty QC remanded him in custody, largely because of fears for his own safety.

“At that time there were real and legitimate fears for his mental health but since then he has been able to access the support he needs,” said Mr Birrell.

“There has been an improvement in his mental health, such that the risk of his committing further offences or of harming himself has been reduced.”

Mr Birrell said Mounsey now accepted that his marriage was over and the house he used to share with his wife and children in Brayton Road, Aspatria, was now up for sale.

After reading a report from Mounsey’s psychiatrist, Judge Barbara Forrester remanded him in custody for background reports.

She said it would be “unfair” to let him go home on bail now since he would almost certainly be going to prison within a few weeks.

Mounsey will be sentenced on September 18.

First published at 11:28, Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk