(Image source: Sky News/image released by Crown Prosecution Service, taken from video played at trial)
A farmer in the UK who flipped a car off his driveway with a tractor has told a court that the was afraid for his safety and that he wanted it off his property.
According to Sky News, 57-year-old Robert Hooper used the tractor to flip the car when the driver of the car refused to move it. Speaking about the incident, he said that he found the car parked on his driveway and asked the car’s driver, Elliott Johnson and 21-year-old Connor Burns to remove it as he had a busy day ahead of him, baling silage.
Mr. Hooper explained that after he politely asked them to move the car, Burns said that he was “not effing moving this car”. He also said that Burns punched him in the face, splitting his lip. Burns admitted in court that he had drunk 6 bottles of Corona lager that day.
At that point it is alleged that he went back to his garage and got his loader that had forks on it. He said that he felt threatened for his safety and, when asked why he did not just call the police, he said that there had been 8 burglaries on the farm in the last few years and the police had taken a long time to arrive.
It is also alleged that when Mr Hooper asked Burns to move the car again, Burns made a “come on” gesture and this frightened him, so he lifted the car. After this, he claimed that Burns punched him through the window, knocking off his glasses.
Mr Hooper is being charged with criminal damage and dangerous driving, two charges that he vehemently denies.
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