A farmer who wrecked a car parked on his land with a tractor has been cleared of criminal damage after he successfully used the 400-year-old legal principle that “an Englishman’s home is his castle”.
Mr Hooper said he did not call police because he had been burgled eight times and found they were often slow to respond.
He went on trial at Durham Crown Court after being charged with dangerous driving and criminal damage.
They were making their way home to Tyneside after spending the day at Low Force waterfall with five friends.
He told the court: "I said: 'Now then lads, can we have this car moved, I need to be in and out.'.
However, the car clipped a post of the farm gate and flipped over, causing massive damage.
Mr Hooper denied dangerous driving and criminal damage and argued that he had been acting in self-defence. »