PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man who has been accused of damaging four homes in the Gales Addition area during a roughly 10-minute bulldozer rampage in May next will appear in Clallam County Superior Court in July after his status hearing was moved last week.
Barry Swegle, 51, is expected to be back in court July 19 although John Troberg, the Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney assigned to the case, requested Friday that the hearing be moved to July 5.
Karen Unger, Swegle’s attorney, told the court Friday that July 19 was the earliest she could appear for the status hearing, a date to which Troberg and presiding Judge George Wood agreed.
Swegle, who remains in the Clallam County jail on
$1 million bond, pleaded not guilty last month to one count of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, four counts of first-degree burglary with a deadly weapon — “to wit, a bulldozer” — and four counts of first-degree malicious mischief.
The charges stem from the damage wrought when Swegle allegedly drove a bulldozer he owned through multiple properties near the intersection of North Baker Street and East Pioneer Road in Gales Addition just east of Port Angeles the morning of May 10.
Swegle allegedly damaged four homes; destroyed a pickup truck, several outbuildings and boat; and knocked over a power pole, cutting power to an estimated thousands for a few hours.
Authorities said that Swegle had had a long-running property dispute with a neighbor.
After about 10 minutes on his bulldozer, Swegle surrendered without incident to Clallam County sheriff’s deputies.
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
