A FARMER blamed a 'spree of rural crime' for causing him to shout abuse and threaten inspectors who were checking overhead lines on his land, a court heard.

Hayden Fortune, 47, had admitted using threatening/abusive/insulting words or behaviour to cause alarm and distress towards husband and wife inspection team Duncan and Tracy Thomson on October 25 last year.

Fortune, of Pyethornes Farm, Wigglesworth, had first appeared at Skipton Magistrates' Court on May 19 to face the charge but his solicitor was unable to attend and the case was adjourned for a plea hearing to June 2 at York Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty.

At the Skipton hearing Fortune said he saw the people on his land that day and did not know who they were.

He said it was normal practice for those checking overhead electric lines to write to him first to let him know but no one had contacted him. He said he had not received any letter.

Fortune said he was a full time carer for his elderly parents and was frightened for himself as well as them. He said there had been a spree of rural crimes and went up to the man and 'kicked him off the place'. He said the man and his wife never showed him any documents and thought their presence was 'something to do with all this pinching'.

Fortune said he may have shouted and sworn at them adding that only recently he had had a bull and 20 heifers in that field which he regarded a safety issue and insisted the Thomsons were trespassing.

He said a suggestion he threatened to shoot the complainants if they did not leave his land was unlikely as he did not own a gun.

The incident occurred while the defendant was being investigated for animal welfare and by-product charges which earlier this year led to him being banned from keeping livestock for life.

For this latest charge, Fortune was fined £160 and ordered to pay compensation of £100 each to Mr and Mrs Thomson. He must also pay a surcharge of £64 and court costs of £85.