An unexpecting farmer faced two intoxicated troublemakers on his property in Teesdale, England. Little did they both know, this would result in a long drawn out battle between the two. 

Farmer’s Confrontation

21-year-old Eliott Johnson and his friend Charlie Burns were confronted by 57-year-old Robert Hooper after they parked on his property with their silver Vauxhall Corsa. Hooper politely asked Johnson and Burns to move the car because it was blocking the front gate to his busy farmland. The two friends said they were swimming in a waterfall nearby and they would move the car soon, but not immediately when the farmer asked.

Johnson and Burns drank seven bottles of lager prior to the confrontation and instantly became aggressive. Due to being under the influence, Burns resorted to assaulting the 57-year-old and threw two punches at the innocent man’s mouth. Hooper became fed up and firmly stated “If you don’t move it, I will”.

The Video

Hooper took action towards the stubborn pair and got into his forklift. In the shocking video, Burns kicked the tire of Hooper’s vehicle before Hooper flipped the car and pushed it on it’s side towards the street. The police arrived shortly after the altercation. Instead of cooperating, Burns pulled his shorts down and exposed his bottom to the responding police officers.

A Long Trial

Burns tried to argue that Hooper purposefully hit him in the back with the forklift, leaving him unable to walk and with a back injury. He blamed all damages of the £16,000 car on the farmer, taking no responsibility. Burns said he planned on walking 52 miles back home, hoping to leave the car there.

Hooper claimed self defense. He told the jury about the youths in the area gathering together to damage property and litter. 

“My mind was racing. I didn’t know what they had in terms of weapons, or what they were capable of doing.”

Robert Hooper to jury

The court heard him say he was defending not only himself, but his property. He felt threatened because “an Englishman’s home is his castle, and that castle starts at the front gate”. He didn’t call the police station due to the unreliable response in the past eight burglaries at the farm. 

The Verdict

A handful of local farmers came to support Hooper at the trial, hoping he would be cleared by the jury. Supporters even cheered for him outside the courtroom. He never had a prior conviction or charge on his arrest record.

Farmers said Hooper was a “hard-working man” who would “help anyone with anything”. His partner Kate Henderson said this trial caused him “eight months of hell” and he only wanted to go back to working. The jury saw that Hooper was a man of good character and thankfully cleared him of all charges.