A Pablo man was sentenced in District Court in Polson Feb. 13 to the Montana State Prison for 110 years for intentionally driving his truck into his neighbor’s house.

Visiting Judge John Larson of Missoula handed down the sentence for Paul Glen Ailport, 65. Ailport entered an Alford plea in District Court Dec. 5, 2024, to felony attempted deliberate homicide. In an Alford plea, a defendant concedes that the case, based on state’s evidence, would result in a conviction.

Larson sentenced Ailport to 100 years in the Montana State Prison and added another 10 years as a “weapons enhancement.” None of the time was suspended. The Alford plea was part of an agreement that dismissed charges of arson and criminal mischief.

According to court records, at about 9:20 a.m. Nov. 10, 2023, reports were made to Lake County Emergency Dispatchers of a truck “crashing into a residence.” The vehicle was engulfed in flames and the driver was slumped over within the truck.

The reporting party indicated that the driver appeared to deliberately drive the truck into the residence. Ailport previously threatened to drive his truck into his neighbor’s home on Paper Trail Road. One neighbor said Ailport had even asked which bedroom was occupied by a particular resident of the home.

The property owner pulled Ailport from the truck. He had burns on his back, shoulders, right arm and hand and had to be transported to a burn unit in Utah for treatment.

An investigation documented “severe fire damage to the northern wall and siding” of the residence. A 19-year-old female was about to step into the shower when the collision knocked a steel beam through the wall. The beam (approximately 13.5 feet long and weighing about 300 pounds) narrowly missed her head.

The investigation also led to the discovery of a 228-shot “Triple Cannon” firework that had fallen out of the truck and ignited. Burn marks in the grass, which appeared to be caused by exploding fireworks, were also documented.

After being treated for his burns in Utah, Ailport was transported back to the Lake County Jail to face charges.

Ailport was already facing charges of criminal endangerment and criminal possession of dangerous drugs at the time. Those charges stemmed from an incident on July 13, 2023, when Ailport allegedly fired a weapon towards a neighbor’s homes while high on methamphetamine.

Judge Larson gave Ailport credit of 408 days for time already served and likened the event to driving a bomb into the house, thus the weapons enhancement.