Car-flip accused farmer tells jury ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’

A farmer who used a telehandler to flip over a car parked on his drive told a jury he felt threatened and that "an Englishman's home is his castle".

Mobile footage showed Robert Hooper, 57, lifting a silver Vauxhall Corsa from the entrance to his County Durham property and pushing it into a road.

Durham Crown Court also saw Mr Hooper strike shirtless Connor Burns, 21, with the forklift's rails on 5 June.

Mr Hooper denies dangerous driving and criminal damage.

• Farmer accused of lifting and flipping parked car into road

Giving evidence on the second day of the trial, the defendant said he had politely asked Mr Burns and Elliott Johnson, the Corsa driver, to move the car.

'Mind was racing'

Mr Hooper had been having a busy day at his farm in Newbiggin-in-Teesdale, County Durham, and there had been an "influx" of youths visiting the area that summer, along with episodes of anti-social behaviour, drug-taking and damage to property, the jury heard.

He said Mr Burns, who previously told the court he had consumed six or seven bottles of lager that day, told him: "I'm not effing moving this car."

The fourth generation hill farmer claimed the younger man punched him twice while he was driving, bursting his lip.

"I thought 'It is time to get out of there', and I said 'If you don't move it, I will'," the court heard.

"My mind was racing," he continued. "I thought 'We have a bit of a problem here, there's two of them, half my age'.

"I didn't know what they had in terms of weapons, or what they were capable of doing.

"I thought if the car was off the property, that would be then off the property, out of the way."

'Felt threatened'

Mr Hooper then returned to his farmyard and put the lifting forks on his vehicle before driving it down the lane to the two men.

He told the jury: "I felt threatened and an Englishman's home is his castle, and my castle starts at that front gate."

Mr Johnson, who had been swimming in a nearby river, filmed the events on his phone.

Michael Rawlinson, defending, asked Mr Hooper why he did not call the police.

He replied there had been eight break-ins at his farm and he had not had "the best response" from the police, who might take an hour to arrive.

The farmer said he again asked Mr Burns to move the car, who then made a "come on" gesture.

He told the jury he felt frightened and was worried for his and his partner's safety.

After pushing the Corsa on to the road, he claimed there was "an onslaught" from Mr Burns, who punched him through the window of his vehicle, knocking off his glasses.

The jury was shown video of Connor Burns lying on the ground after Mr Hooper swung his farm vehicle around

He said he "definitely" did not intend to strike Mr Burns with the lifting forks.

He then parked the telehandler across the farmyard entrance and locked himself in his home with his partner, who had called the police.

Jurors were told the farmer was a man of previous good character with no previous convictions.

The trial continues.