Yahoo

Good for him! The punk that hit him should have been the one in trouble.

Good verdict.

PO1 Tony Holland
...""The whole thing has been such an ordeal for him, he's not someone who likes to be the centre of attention so this has been difficult.

"It's been wonderful to see so many people from the Dales come to support him, that really means a lot."

Robert Hooper with Karen Henderson, his partner, outside court - Richard Rayner
Robert Hooper with Karen Henderson, his partner, outside court - Richard Rayner
William Wearmouth, a 66-year-old farmer who was also one of those who made the journey to court from Upper Teesdale, said: “Robert Hooper is a decent, honest man, the hardest working man in the Dale and the jury got it right.

"He did nothing wrong, he was under attack and he did what he had to do to protect himself and his property.

"Since lockdown, the Dale has been deluged by people who visit and don't really understand the country.

"We all understood what he went through because we all saw the way people, young people especially, were behaving and causing disruption to everyone's lives.”