Welsh farmer fined after lifting neighbour’s truck with tractor during lane dispute
Welsh farmer Cerdin Jones used his tractor to lift his neighbour Anwen Hughes’ truck and move it 20 yards along a lane during a dispute over access and parking. The incident led to a court case after the truck was damaged beyond repair.
The court heard that Hughes owned the narrow lane, while Jones had a right of way to reach his farmland. Jones denied criminal damage, but magistrates found him responsible for damage valued at more than £5,000 and imposed a restraining order barring him from Hughes’ farm and the lane. He was also ordered to pay £650 in costs and a £150 surcharge.
- A tractor was used to move a neighbour’s truck 20 yards.
- The truck was written off after sustaining more than £5,000 in damage.
- The farmer received a restraining order and court costs.
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Rural neighbourhoods sometimes see disputes over land and access rights. This case involves a disagreement between two neighbours over the use of a narrow lane connecting their properties.
Farmer Cerdin Jones and his neighbour Anwen Hughes disputed who could use and park on the lane. Hughes owned the lane itself, but Jones had a legal right to pass through it to reach his farmland.
During the dispute, Jones used his tractor to lift Hughes' truck and move it along the lane, causing serious damage. A court found Jones liable for the damaged truck and ordered him to pay over £5,000 in damages, costs and surcharge, plus banned him from the lane and Hughes' farm.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Jones possessed a legal right of way to reach his farmland through Hughes's lane. When she repeatedly parked her truck on the lane, she was in effect preventing him from exercising his established legal right. In rural contexts, where court proceedings take months and cost considerably, moving the vehicle out of the way to access his own property was a reasonable, practical solution rather than waiting for a formal legal remedy.
The case against
Right of way protects the right to pass, not to remove the property owner's vehicle. Jones should have sought legal remedies such as an injunction rather than taking matters into his own hands, however frustrated. The fact that damage resulted—£5,000 worth—demonstrates why self-help solutions are inadequate. Hughes owned the lane; Jones's frustration did not grant him authority to move her property, no matter how practical it seemed.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Moment feuding farmer solves his parking problem by picking up neighbour’s truck with his tractor and carrying it 20 yards along lane”.