Harrogate paedophile jailed for 13 years for historic sex offences

A serial sex offender from Harrogate has been sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for twice subjecting a young girl to indecent assault in Northallerton during the 1990s.

John William Marshall, 68, of Fairfax Avenue, was sentenced at York Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of offences at a trial in August.

He has also been made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

A North Yorkshire Police media release today said the bravery of the victim ensured Marshall faced justice, despite the number of years that have passed.

The victim made contact with police in 2019 following publicity surrounding the conviction of Marshall for possession of more than 24,000 indecent images of children, for which he served a custodial sentence and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order. which was due to expire.

Marshall had previously been described publicly by a judge as a “dangerous paedophile”.

The court heard that Marshall had befriended the victim’s family, offering help with their newly acquired computer.

He was subsequently trusted to look after the girl when her parents went shopping.

It was during these times that Marshall sexually assaulted her.

The victim’s parents reported it to police and social services at the time, but no further criminal action was taken due to a series of complications.

Victim thought she would not be believed

Now an adult, the victim’s life had been overshadowed by the thought that she was not believed.

Adam Harland, cold case review manager at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“In coming forward, the victim has now had her voice heard, her evidence believed by a jury, and she has obtained the conviction of the man who had grossly and indecently abused her as a child.

“Sadly, we believe there could be further victims of Marshall out there. We urge them to get in touch, just like the courageous victim in this case has.

“As you can see, time is no barrier to getting justice for victims of child sexual abuse.

“If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, whether it is happening now or in the past, please contact the police.”

Mr Harland added:

“We appreciate that telling the police what has happened takes immense courage and it is never easy reliving extremely distressing experiences.

“We understand this and that’s why we have specially trained officers who will guide you every step of the way and provide access to the full range of professional support services that are readily available.

“In coming forward, we can get you the help you need and ensure offenders like Marshall cannot go on to hurt anyone else.”

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Trees down as Storm Pia hits Harrogate district

Gusts of over 60 mph are causing disruption in the Harrogate district this morning. A Met Office weather warning is in place for wind until 9pm but the strongest gusts are forecast this morning, with Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge already recording 63 mph.

A tree came down on the A59 Knaresborough Road near Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough and rail operator Northern has said its trains are running at reduced speed on several lines and to check before travelling.

Let us know how the storm is affecting you by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

2.05pm – Harrogate ice rink closed for rest of day

The Ice Rink Harrogate will be closed for the rest of today due to high winds.

A Facebook post from the operator said:

“The Ice Rink is closed for the rest of the day (21/12/23) due to the high winds. We will open as usual tomorrow.

“All people booked on any session affected will be contacted by email to change their booking to another day before the 8th of January. 

“Thank you for your understanding.”

1:23pm Tree down on the Oval in Harrogate

Storm Pia has caused a large tree to fall down on the Oval in Harrogate.

 

12.10pm Harrogate ice rink closed

High winds forced the closure of Ice Rink Harrogate, the temporary Christmas feature in Crescent gardens.

A social media post by the firm operating it said:
“Due to the high winds the Ice Rink is closed until 2:30pm today. A further review will take place at noon. All people booked on any session affected will be contacted by email to change their booking to another day before the 8th of January.”

11.58am: 40,000 customers affected, says Northern Powergrid 

Northern Powergrid, which delivers electricity on behalf of suppliers, has said 40,000 customers in the north-east, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire have been affected by Storm Pia. It said in a statement:

“Our teams responded quickly and have already managed to reconnect more than 28,000 of those who have been impacted. We will keep customers updated regularly via text message, on our website and on our social media channels.”

It added West Yorkshire had suffered the most impact so far.

10.55am: Local attractions closed today

Remember, Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough and the National Trust-owned Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal near Ripon are closed today due to high winds. The horticultural charity RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also cancelled its Glow event tonight and offered a full refund to people who had bought tickets.

9.25am: Storm damage at Crowne Plaza in Harrogate?

A reader has sent us these photos of apparent storm damage at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Harrogate.

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9.05am: Tree down on edge of district

Bus driver Jonathan Ruston, pictured below, has been helping with clearing a fallen tree he encountered this morning.

He said it was on the A659 going into Otley, past the garden centre, just before Otley town centre.

Pic Jonathan Ruston

7.30am: Four stalls open at Ripon Market 

Most stallholders have kept away from Ripon Market, which usually takes place on Thursday, except for a fruit and veg stall, a fishmonger, baker and a cheese seller.

Fishmonger Martin Carrick out early this morning serving regular customers Darren and Janet Ratcliffe.

Fishmonger Martin Carrick, whose family has been working at the market for 80 years, said:

“We will. be here for he full day, we have a large vehicle that isn’t affected by the wind like the stalls are and we are looking forward to serving people with their Christmas orders.”

His brother Kevin Carrick, who operates a fruit and veg stall, was also on duty as normal. He said:

“This is our most important market of the year in Ripon and I hope people read the Stray Ferret and know that we will be here all day.”

Kevin Carrick at his fruit and veg stall this morning.

The Stray Ferret has been monitoring Storm Pia and previously reported the closure of several local attractions, including Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon and Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough.

Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr has cancelled its Glow event amid the weather warning.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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First day of Christmas fayre was Harrogate’s busiest for six months

The opening of this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre was the town’s busiest day for six months, Harrogate Business Improvement District said today.

New footfall data shows that on Friday, December 1 — the launch of the fayre — 126,522 people passed through the town centre.

The data, which is based on locations settings on mobile phones, also suggested the town centre has had a busier 2023 than 2022.

It showed 23,246,734 passed through Harrogate up to December 9 this year, compared to a total of 21,631,852 throughout 2022.

Harrogate BID is working with place monitoring platform HUQ to analyse data on the town’s footfall and dwell time over specified periods.

The BID will use the data, which covers 98% of the population, to develop strategies to encourage more people to visit the town centre. Town centre businesses voted in favour of continuing to pay a levy on their business rates this summer to fund the BID for another five years,

Santa was among the visitors to the fayre.

The data is believed to be more accurate than that used previously to measure footfall at Harrogate events because a person is only counted once if they re-enter the specified area.

Matthew Chapman, manager of the BID, said:

“We are very excited to get our teeth stuck into HUQ, which is used in many towns and cities around the UK.

“The system allows us as the BID, along with partners, to look at high street trends and results to evidence even more return on investment from the projects we deliver.

“Understanding where people come to Harrogate from, as well as how long they spend here,will allow us to promote our town more strategically at targeted periods throughout the year.”

Ed Horner, Harrogate BID’s new PR and communications officer, will analyse the HUQ figures to inform future projects, campaigns and events.

Density data statistics allow the BID to track the movement of people in the BID area and create a map showing the most frequently visited sites.

Green indicates less busy areas, while red highlights hotspots.

Cambridge Street, where the traders and stalls were located, was among the fayre hotspots.

The data also allows the BID to track where visitors are coming from and how long they stay in the town centre.

Unexpectedly, according to the BID, visitors have spent the most time in the town centre on Sundays in 2023 so far, with an average of 2 hours and 50 minutes.

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Wreath laid in Killinghall to honour heroic Harrogate airman

A wreath was laid in a churchyard in Killinghall on Sunday to mark the 80th anniversary of the death of a local RAF pilot in the Second World War.

Flying officer Ted Thackway lost his life on Black Thursday — the worst night in British military aviation history. He was just 23 years old.

Bilton-born Ted was part of the elite RAF Pathfinder force that guided British bombers to their targets.

He was one of five men killed flying back to Britain from Berlin when their Lancaster crashed in dense fog near Hardwick, east of their home airfield of RAF Station Bourn. Two members of the crew survived. Fifty members of the Pathfinders crews died on the night of December 16 and 17 due to fog and low cloud.

Ted Thackway. Pic: rafpathfinders.com

Relatives laid a wreath on Ted’s grave at St Thomas the Apostle in Killinghall, where his headstone is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Debbie Havercroft said her father, who died in 2021, brought them up on tales about Ted, whose youthfulness and modest upbringing made him something of a rarity among RAF officers.

Nick Wrightson, who lives in Birstwirth, said Ted grew up in Killinghall and Bilton and left school at 15 before joining the RAF in 1939 aged 19.

Ted (left) with his family in Bilton in 1938. Pic: www.rafpathfinders.com

His funeral was held at St John’s in Bilton, where Ted had been a choir boy, and later that day he was buried at Killinghall, where his mother had grown up. His grandfather had been churchwarden at St Thomas.

Ted’s mother Elsie met a Canadian after the war, remarried and moved to a town called Egansville, where a commemoration also took place marking the 80th anniversary of his death.

You can read more about Ted and Black Thursday here.

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Local Labour activist bids to stand for election in Skipton and Ripon

A local Labour Party activist has announced he is seeking the party’s nomination to contest Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

Starbeck man Chris Watt, 46, has worked for the NHS for 15 years and is involved in a range of community organisations. He previously worked in Westminster for a minister in the last Labour government.

Candidates have until January 10 to put forward their names to stand against Conservative Julian Smith, who has held the seat since 2010.

Announcing his candidature today, Mr Watt said he used to work for the health trust that runs Ripon Community Hospital and community healthcare across the area.

Skipton and Ripon has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

It has been designated a “non-battleground” seat by Labour, which is believed to be focusing more on Keighley.

But local Labour members were boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining Skipton and Ripon.

Mr Watt said:

“I’ve really enjoyed being out on the doorstep already with the Skipton and Ripon Labour team, talking to local voters about their concerns. It’s clear that tackling the cost of living crisis, improving public services and tackling anti-social behaviour are at the top of people’s minds.

“The latest polls show that it’s all to play for in Skipton and Ripon, with Labour poised to give Julian Smith and the Tories a real run for their money and potentially take the seat.

“So I think we need a candidate who not only has a track record of organising excellent campaigns, but who is dedicated to public service and can hit the ground running to deliver a brighter future for the area should they be elected by local people.”

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, has already announced he intends to seek the party nomination again.

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Knaresborough man issues puddle warning after dog dies

A Knaresborough man has urged dog owners to avoid letting their pets drink from puddles after losing his dog to a disease called leptospirosis.

Two-year-old Cassie died in Andy Bell’s arms last Wednesday after contracting the illness. A previously healthy dog, she was well known in Knaresborough and a regular at Parkrun.

But the Vizsla went downhill quickly after contracting leptospirosis, also known as lepto, which is caused by bacteria damaging vital organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Known as Weil’s disease in humans, lepto can spread in water infected with rats’ urine. It is often caught by dogs drinking from puddles.

Cassie

Mr Bell said he hadn’t left the Knaresborough area in the days before Cassie fell ill and he wanted to prevent other dogs suffering a similar fate. He said:

“I’m keen to have other owners aware of not letting their dogs drink from puddles. It was a horrifying way to die, I wouldn’t wish it on another loved companion.

“It can be contracted in standing or slow moving water, not just puddles.  It is vaccinated against but it doesn’t cover every strain.”

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Cassie, said Mr Bell, had helped two Ukrainian refugees living with him to settle in.

He said:

“Dozens of people loved her and she loved everyone.

“She ended up in a specialist animal ICU north of Middlesbrough, but despite best efforts her kidneys were destroyed.  She went from coming ninth in a 10k canicross race to being dead in a few weeks.”

The vet charity PDSA has more information here.

 

Pedestrian ‘serious but stable’ after Harrogate crash

A pedestrian is seriously ill in hospital after a crash on the A59 outside Shaws Trailer Park at Starbeck.

Emergency services were called to the A59 Knaresborough Road at 7.45am yesterday (Monday, December 18).

North Yorkshire Police said last night:

“A SsangYong Korando in grey which was travelling in the direction of Harrogate collided with a man in his 50s as he was crossing the road at the pelican crossing.

“The pedestrian is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

“The driver of the SsangYong is assisting officers with their investigation.”

Officers are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

You can email joseph.moore@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101 and ask to speak to the force control room.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12230239213.

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Two-mile tailbacks on A1(M) north of Ripon

The A1(M) is closed in North Yorkshire due to a collision causing lengthy delays.

In a press release published at 12.32pm today, National Highways said the road was closed in both directions due to a single-vehicle collision.

It added:

“The northbound carriageway between junctions 50 (Ripon) and 51 (Leeming Bar) was closed following the incident at around 11am today (Monday 18 December 2023).

“The southbound carriageway was also closed shortly afterwards.

“Emergency services are at the scene and there are delays of 10-15 minutes in both directions. There are two miles of congestion on the northbound carriageway and one mile on the southbound carriageway.”

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Harrogate piano school celebrates 25 years with pupil concert

Harrogate-based piano school, Saphir Piano Studios, has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a pupil concert at the Wesley Centre on Oxford Street.

Julian and Nichola Saphir, who are directors of the studios as well as teachers, are both concert pianists and Royal College of Music alumni.

They moved to Harrogate from London in 1998 and have continued to build their full-time piano school ever since. They currently have more than 80 pupils.

Their December concert is a long-standing tradition but had not taken place since 2019 due to covid.

To celebrate their quarter of a century in Harrogate, the concert saw 34 pupils perform an eclectic programme of piano music on the Wesley Centre’s prestigious hand-crafted Yamaha CF-lllS concert grand piano, which has been played by some of the world’s most famous concert pianists, including Sir Stephen Hough, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Marc-André Hamelin.

Among those taking part was five-year-old Grace Xiu, who is the studios’ youngest pupil.

Alongside the young performers were three of Saphir Piano Studios’ adult students, Moira Morgan, Alistair Duff and Phil Howarth, who treated the audience to music by Chopin and Robert Schumann.

One of the highlights was a six-handed piece by Rachmaninoff, performed by St. Aidan’s Church of England High School sixth formers Annabel Baxter, Krish Desha-Beerachee and Jack Brierley.

The concert was brought to a sparkling finale with the Saphirs themselves giving a duet performance of the ever-popular Christmas favourite, Sleigh Ride.

Julian and Nichola said:

“It’s very important to give each of our pupils the opportunity to play on a fine concert grand piano before a large audience. The atmosphere in the room is always so warm and enthusiastic.”

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Labour starts search for Skipton and Ripon candidate

The Labour Party has begun the process of finding a candidate for Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

Julian Smith, who has been MP since 2010, increased his majority to 23,694 at the last election in 2019 when he won 60% of the vote.

Although the rural constituency is widely regarded as a safe Tory seat, Labour was boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining it.

Labour invited potential candidates to put forward their names on Friday last week (December 8). The deadline for applying is January 10.

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, said he intended to seek the party nomination again.

With an election expected next year, Mr McDaid said he hoped a candidate would be selected quickly to allow as much time as possible for campaigning.

He said:

“Labour’s visibility in Skipton and Ripon has increased a lot. We have worked hard to show people that the Lib Dems aren’t the second party.

“We have done a lot of door knocking and the phrase ‘where is Julian Smith and what has he contributed locally?’ comes up a lot.”

Skipton Town Council has five Labour councillors, but Ripon City Council has none and Mr McDaid admitted the party needed to focus more on the city.

Keir Mather’s by-election success in Selby and Ainsty.

He said the party had been inspired by Keir Mather’s victory in July’s Selby and Ainsty by-election, when he overturned a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the seat for Labour.

He added:

“Polls are showing it could be a Labour gain but we aren’t taking anything for granted.”

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