A farmer has been cleared by a jury after he defended his home and property by flipping a car off his land.
Fourth-generation
hill farmer Robert Hooper argued during his four-day trial that an
Englishman's home is his castle and claimed he had been assaulted before
he used a tractor to shift the Vauxhall Corsa from a lane outside his
farm in Newbiggin, County Durham
Outside Durham Crown Court, Teesdale farmers had gathered to support Mr
Hooper, 57, and they cheered as he was cleared of dangerous driving and
criminal damage.
'Eight months of hell'
His partner, Kate
Hudson, told supporters: "The overwhelming support of the local
community and people from afar have kept him going during these last
eight months of hell."
She said: "We welcome the jury's verdict and are thankful for it."
Videos played during the trial showed how Mr Hooper used a telehandler
with forks to lift the £16,000 car and push it on its side on the road
outside.
Shirtless passenger Charlie Burns, 21, who had been visiting the area
that day and had drunk up to seven bottles of lager, was knocked to the
ground by the vehicle's lifting forks.
Mr Burns had been drinking with friends at Low Force waterfall and was intending to walk 52 miles back to South Tyneside.
He
told the jury he then spotted his friend, Elliott Johnson, whose Corsa
had suffered a double puncture which is why they parked in the farmer's
lane.
Mr Hooper told the jury he had been punched twice by Mr Burns, splitting
his lip, when he had politely asked him and the driver to leave as they
were blocking access during a busy day on the farm.
He said: "I felt threatened and an Englishman's home is his castle, and my castle starts at that front gate."
In his closing remarks, David Ward, prosecuting, told the jury the
Crown was not saying that Mr Hooper was a "thug", but that his actions
were "utterly irrational" that day.
However, Michael Rawlinson,
defending, quoted boxer Mike Tyson, saying: "Everyone has a plan until
they get punched in the mouth."
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