Yoko Banks, who owns a string of ‘highly marketable’ properties in some of Harrogate’s most desirable areas, ‘facilitated’ an Albanian drugs gang by renting out homes for industrial scale cannabis production, a court heard. Police found a ‘large’ crossbow at one property.
Harrogate man pleads not guilty to Mayfield Grove alleged murder
Daniel Ainsley, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to murder at Leeds Crown Court today. Ainsley was arrested on suspicion of murder after police found 48-year-old Mark Wolsey with fatal injuries at a flat in Mayfield Grove.
Owner of Harrogate Hand Carwash jailed for modern slavery offences
Defrim Paci was one of two men convicted at Carlisle Crown Court. Mr Paci is sole director of Harrogate Hand Carwash on Sykes Grove. The crimes were committed against workers at a Carlisle car wash.
Harrogate cocaine dealer jailed after dealing outside ex-servicemen’s club
Wesley Waterworth, 29, was jailed for two years after being caught dealing drugs outside an ex-servicemen’s club on East Parade in Harrogate. The court heard he had 22 previous convictions.
Former Ripon military man jailed for soliciting sex with underage ‘girls’
Mark Crompton, 46, formerly of Ripon, was caught out after indulging in chats with what he thought to be a like-minded individual who had a 10-year-old daughter. The man was, in fact, a police officer.
Ripon man jailed for 10 years for arranging to rape four-year-old girl
John Noble, 36, was jailed for 10 years and sentenced to a further four years on licence at York Crown Court today after what a senior officer described as a ‘a particularly distressing case’. Warning: this article includes graphic details.
Ripon cocaine and heroin dealer jailed after police raid
Jemima Walker, 27, was jailed for two years after she was charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. The court heard she had previously been caught possessing cocaine in Harrogate.
Police officer bitten after disturbance at Harrogate rail station
Thomas Spedding, 33, bit into an off-duty officer’s arm at Harrogate rail station, York Crown Court heard. An armed response unit had to be sent to deal with the situation.
Harrogate ‘Walter Mitty’ character jailed for stealing thousands from 94-year-old father
Edward Stewart, 53, from Harrogate, posed as an ex-SAS soldier and stole thousands of pounds from his 94-year-old war veteran father. He was jailed for eight months at York Crown Court.
Knaresborough stalker jailed for 14 months
Michael Lonsdale, 37, was so fixated on a woman that he broke a restraining order four times, York Crown Court heard. On one occasion he tried to strangle his victim whilst high on cocaine and whisky.
Ripon man jailed for downloading 1,000 indecent images of children
Francis Mingay, 65, from Ripon, downloaded more than 1,000 incident images of children despite being under a sexual harm order. Mingay will remain on the sex offenders register and his licence conditions upon his eventual release will include strict curbs on his internet use.