A former hospital IT expert who downloaded more than three-quarters of a million indecent images of children has been jailed again after breaching a court order designed to prevent reoffending.

Martin Richard Shepherd, 49, was jailed for five years in 2017 after police found 748,000 illegal images of children on his computer equipment.

Shepherd, who was working as an IT support officer at Harrogate District Hospital at the time, was released from jail part way through his sentence but remained subject to strict curbs on his internet use, which meant he had to make his computer devices available for inspection and prohibited him from deleting his search history.

In September this year, however, supervising officers found that he had been removing evidence of his internet activity, York Crown Court heard.

Police seized a tablet from his Harrogate home and discovered Shepherd had downloaded a “vast amount” of pornography including indecent images of children, said prosecutor Matthew Collins.

Shepherd told officers that he “couldn’t help himself” and that he needed to be “institutionalised”.

York Crown Court

The IT expert – who was forced to resign from his job at Harrogate Hospital in October 2016 following his arrest for the first set of offences – appeared for sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty to four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Mr Collins said that police found “large amounts” of data on Shepherd’s Android tablet after the unannounced visit on September 2, used over a four-month period between May and September. Mr Collins said:

“The defendant claimed that this could be explained by (deleting) some (video) games. He suddenly became very upset, distressed and apologised.”

Shepherd admitted to officers that he had been deleting his internet history “because he had been embarrassed about what they might have found”. Mr Collins added:

“He admitted watching both adult and child pornography. He said he couldn’t stop himself (and that) he kept going back to a protected site.”

‘Couldn’t resist the urge’

Shepherd confessed that he had been viewing indecent videos of children at least “twice a week” and sometimes on a daily basis. He said it was mainly sex scenes involving female children aged 10 and over.

He would then “delete the account” on the website for fear of being caught. Shepherd told police he “couldn’t resist the urge to watch child pornography on a daily basis”.

Shepherd, formerly of Chatsworth Grove, was described as a loner who had never had an intimate adult relationship. He was said to have a “particular interest” in the sexual abuse of girls between the ages of 10 and 14.

In 2016, police cyber-crime detectives found that he had amassed about three-quarters of a million indecent image of children after using his computer skills to avoid detection for about 14 years, using his expertise to encrypt the images.

Shepherd, who worked in the IT department at Harrogate Hospital for 22 years, trawled the dark web for indecent images from May 2002 to the time of his arrest in June 2016. Police found a “massive library collection” of photos and videos featuring the serious sexual abuse of “very young” children including 12-month-old babies and youngsters who had been drugged or plied with alcohol.

Of the 748,000 illegal images found on his equipment, just under 9,000 photos and videos were rated Category A – the worst kind of such material.

Shepherd had painstakingly catalogued the images in 22 encrypted volumes and used an “extremely complex” system of passwords to hide them. Other images were deleted. He also distributed at least 19 videos on a paedophilic file-sharing site and spied on naked and barely-dressed teenagers at a property in Harrogate after setting up covert video equipment.

The sentencing judge at the time said it was “the worst case of its type that I have had to deal with in a long time in the law”.

In January 2017, Shepherd was given a five-year jail sentence and placed on the sex-offenders’ register for life for making and distributing indecent images of children, as well as gaining unauthorised access to private computer files at Harrogate Hospital and two counts of voyeurism related to webcams he had set up to take video footage of two female teenagers getting undressed in 2005 and 2012.

Read more:

• Boroughbridge man jailed for taking indecent photographs of three-year-old girl
• Harrogate child sex offender jailed for 3 years

Richard Reed, mitigating at this week’s breach hearing, said Shepherd still had problems  “controlling his urges”. He said:

“He says the only way forward is for him to have a complete ban on accessing the internet in any form.”

Judge Simon Hickey said Shepherd was clearly a “dangerous” offender who had breached the order before. He told Shepherd:

“You said you were deleting (video) games, but the vast amount of material deleted (was) over 125 gigabytes. It must have been a vast amount of indecent material. Like you say, you can’t help it.”

Shepherd was given a two-year jail term and told he must serve two-thirds of that sentence behind bars, or until the Parole Board deemed him fit to be released.

Mr Hickey also ordered that Shepherd must serve an extended four-year period on prison licence upon his eventual release from jail.

Objections have been raised by Pannal residents after plans were revealed to demolish eight garages and build two new houses.

The plans for the site on Pannal Green have been submitted by Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the garages and wants to replace them with two semi-detached “family” homes for social rent.

One of the homes would have two double bedrooms, while the other would have a double and two singles.

As well as the garages, the application states there would be a loss of one on-street parking space, with part of the green itself used to create new parking bays.

However, residents say the loss of eight garages is only part of the issue: the development would also reduce the on-street parking, meaning an overall loss of up to 12 parking spaces. They have raised concerns about the impact in an area which is already under significant pressure, with visitors to the nearby primary school and care home adding to traffic issues.

Louisa Humpage, who lives with her husband and two children in one of the houses adjoining the site, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are already in a deficit of spaces as it is. These are all originally council houses and when they were built, each family didn’t have one car, let alone two. Now, most families have two cars so we’re already squeezed for space.”

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Mrs Humpage’s garden will be along the boundary of one of the new homes if they are built, removing the family’s access to the back garden via a gate, which she said was a selling point when they bought it.

She said she was also worried about access for deliveries and emergency vehicles, with several elderly and disabled residents living in the mix of council and privately-owned homes around Pannal Green.

Access to a footpath through to St Robert’s Church could also be lost if the new homes are built, and residents have raised concerns about a ripple effect on parking in the surrounding streets. It is particularly challenging at pick-up and drop-off times for the nearby Pannal Primary School, when Main Street is reduced to single file for through traffic thanks to cars parked either side of the road.

One letter said:

“If a resident cannot park their car close to their home, there is nowhere in the whole village to park, as the whole area has the same problem.”

Mrs Humpage added:

“The only option for us is the church car park or even Main Street, but then people will have to walk a long distance to their houses. The church car park isn’t lit and in the winter it’s slippy, with leaves everywhere. You’re asking people to put themselves into jeopardy just to get to their front door.”

Residents say there is even greater pressure on parking locally at school pick-up and drop-off times

Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council is due to discuss the plans this evening and Mrs Humpage plans to ask councillors to object to the proposals. She has also spoken to Cllr John Mann, who represents Pannal on Harrogate Borough Council, to ask for his support.

She added:

“I know they have a long list of people requiring social housing, but there has to be more suitable places to build houses for them. It’s just two houses – is it really cost-effective to do that just to knock two people off the list?

“There has to be some sort of duty of care to existing residents.”

The Stray Ferret approached Cllr Mann, Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, and Harrogate Borough Council for comment on the proposals, but none had responded at the time of publication.

Police are appealing for information after a burglary in Knaresborough on Saturday evening.

A suspect tried to enter a home on Manor Road around 7pm.

North Yorkshire Police is now asking for help from the public to establish the full details. A spokesperson said:

“In particular, we are appealing for information about a male who was wearing all black clothing with a hood around Manor Road at the time of the offence.”

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two, and ask for Geeta Maharjan, or email geeta.maharjan2@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200221213.

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• Police appeal for help identifying man after Nidd Gorge theft
• Two arrests after vehicle keys stolen in Harrogate

The coordinator of a community project to create more than 4,000 sets of scrubs for key workers has been honoured by a women’s group in Harrogate.

Fran Taylor was invited to speak at a virtual meeting of Harrogate and District Soroptimists, outlining how her plan to make a couple of sets of scrubs for staff at Harrogate District Hospital turned into a major campaign.

She set up a Facebook group, Harrogate Scrubbers, asking others to sew scrubs or donate money for material. Within 24 hours, 200 people had signed up and more than £4,500 had been raised.

Five weeks later, an army of 800 volunteers were cutting out, sewing, organising and delivering the vital scrubs, masks, laundry bags and headbands to NHS staff.

The volunteers worked closely with the hospital and other organisations to ensure the right equipment went to the right places, expanding to care homes and GP surgeries too.

Fran Taylor is presented with the award by Harrogate and District Soroptimists president Sandra Frier.

After hearing her tale, the Soroptimists presented maths teacher Fran with their Making a Difference award. President Sandra Frier said:

“It was a great pleasure to be able to meet Fran and, whilst socially distancing, present the Making a Difference award to her, together with a cheque for the Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity, in recognition of someone who has made a real difference for our community.”

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• Harrogate cancer charity holds virtual comedy night this Friday
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Police recorded more than one speeder per minute in an operation in Harrogate this month.

The camera was deployed on Leeds Road as part of a crackdown on speeding during the second lockdown, and its operator recorded 64 people exceeding the 30mph speed limit.

A deployment in Killinghall, meanwhile, captured more than 40 offences in 45 minutes, including one driver doing 56mph in the 30mph zone.

North Yorkshire Police said speeding has increased during lockdown, posing a greater risk because of the higher number of pedestrians, and they are taking “robust” action to deal with drivers. Criminal justice manager Andy Tooke said:

“Since lockdown two began, we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of motoring offences we’ve captured. We’ve also seen some terrible driving, particularly in our communities.

“These are places where children are going to school, and residents are going on walks – yet some motorists are barreling through these towns and villages at lethal speeds.

“At a time when communities are doing everything they can to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, driving through 30mph areas at twice the speed limit is sheer stupidity.

“It’s also illegal and we are responding robustly to enforce the law and keep residents and road users safe.”

Read more:

• District police hope week of action will keep knives off streets
• Police appeal for help finding wanted Harrogate man

Today, details of a sensitive housing development go to Harrogate Borough Council planning committee for approval.

The Vistry Partnership and Yorkshire Housing Ltd want to build 72 houses on a 2.8-hectare site on the edge of Spofforth, a conservation village, south of Harrogate.

Over 300 locals, Historic England, Natural England, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the council’s principal ecologist, North Yorkshire’s highways, the Lead Local Flood Authority and Spofforth Parish Council all raised serious concerns.

They range from the adverse impact of development upon historic character and setting, regionally important green infrastructure, bio habitat-diversity, road safety, congestion, risk of flooding. subsidence and surface water drainage.

A village at risk

Spofforth is built on a ridge overlooking fields that have been farmed since the 8th century.

The village is listed in the Doomsday Book with a long and chequered past.

Locals are protective of over 30 Grade II listed heritage assets that are to be found in this beautiful village.

In 1978, this legacy was awarded conservation status in recognition of the village’s special character and distinctiveness of its setting, buildings and open spaces.

But Spofforth, like so many other rural settlements in the borough is facing rapid expansion under Harrogate Borough Council’s drive to meet housing targets.

The development 

In March 2019, Opus North (Spofforth) Ltd acquired outline planning permission on the ‘Massey Fold’ site in Spofforth.

The ‘indicative’  plans showed a luxury development with a series of ponds, substantial landscaping and trees.

Historic England, the council’s conservation officer, and the borough council’s Local Plan raised concerns that any development on the site would cause “significant harm” to the village’s unique character.

A previous application on the same site had been refused for that reason.

Historic England warned planners that that there must be ‘clear and convincing justification and that the public benefits of the proposal outweigh the harm’.

Planners claimed that ‘the benefit would come from the delivery of new homes’.

Later that year Opus North put the site up for sale. The Vistry Partnership (formerly Bovis) and Yorkshire Housing Association reached agreement to take the site forward to completion.

To overcome the various challenges the site presented, a new plan was drafted by the developers.

Natural England, the borough council’s principal ecologist, and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust had all originally advised planners that the development will have a long-term impact on the ecological functioning of the River Crimple Corridor.

The principal ecology officer reminded planners that the National Planning Policy Framework protected against a net loss of biodiversity and advised that the original plan should not be accepted by the local authority.

The plan was then adjusted to take in concerns but neither the principal ecologist nor Historic England have subsequently been consulted about the latest lay-out design, access and landscaping proposals going to committee today.

Harrogate Borough Council argues there is no requirement to re-consult as “the principle of development has been established”.

The parish council says that the most recent plans are so far removed from the original proposal a new, full application should be made.

Flood risk

Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for ensuring that the drainage on the site meets a myriad of conditions to protect the new homes and surrounding properties from flooding.

The fields are known to have flooded since medieval times.

Locals sent photographs to planners showing the river inches away from breaching Spofforth’s flood defences during Boxing Day floods in 2015.

Boxing Day flooding around Spofforth in 2015 taken by resident John Chiltern and submitted to planners

In a public consultation in August 2017, residents expressed the concerns:

“Building on a flood plain should not be allowed under any circumstances”

“A report needs to be made available with details of how the flooding can be dealt with”

“Flood plain—HUGE CONCERN”

More recently Marmaduke Heslop contacted planners saying:

‘I have lived at Crosper Farm all my life (63 years) and have been involved with farming the field in question for many years. It has always been subject to flooding to the top of the hedge at the far end of the field. The amount of hard landscaping involved in this development would cause more rainwater run-off into the Crimple which is already running at more than capacity. The river has flooded over the banks for 3 consecutive weekends in February this year (2020) ‘

Over the past three years, various versions of a drainage system for the development have been put forward to protect the site and surrounding properties from surface water and flooding.

The parish council says these are ‘ill-considered’.  The Lead Localised Flooding Authority(LFFA) consults and advises the council on surface water drainage. In a letter dated 16th October this year, they emphasised early advise and told  planners:

‘The submitted documents are limited and the Lead Localised Flood Authority recommends that the applicant provides further information before ANY planning permission is granted.’

The latest proposal involves raising the site level by 1.5 metres sloping towards the existing level at the foot of the flood defences and surrounding properties.

The parish council told planners:

‘Not only will this make the new development even more prominent which will impact on the views from surrounding properties, but it will have a significant effect on adjacent land with regards to flooding.’

A failing system

The council says:

“The proposed development would result in social benefits by contribution towards the district’s housing need, including affordable housing. The additional population from the development would also make a contribution towards maintaining and enhancing existing facilities in the village.”

But last month, the council received a letter from the parish council. It listed 18 policies contained within the Local Development Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework, and the Town and Country Planning Act, which the parish council considered were not well met by the scheme.

The council has acknowledged the concerns and attached an elaborate list of ‘conditions’  to any approval to mitigate the issues.

But it’s not enough for the parish council, which said:

“Although the applicants have prepared revised proposals, they have failed to address our basic concerns about density, numbers, levels, flooding, parking and sustainability. They claim to have achieved ‘a closer-knit urban grain’, which is what most parishioners are hoping to avoid, in our historic rural village.”

Today the planning department is recommending to the planning committee that the decision should be deferred to the chief planner, John Worthington to approve when all conditions are satisfied.

Harrogate Borough Council released a statement saying:

“It is considered that the scheme is in accordance with the provisions of the development. The details of the reserved matters, appearance, scale, layout and landscaping are acceptable, and approval can be supported.”

As a resident of Spofforth I contacted my local conservative MP, Nigel Adams, and outlined all the concerns raised in this report. His office has contacted me making it clear he is well aware of the issues:

 Nigel Adams MP has taken note of the salient points which have been raised and has asked the decision makers to take them into consideration when the application is decided.

An appropriate representation has been made to the Planning committee.

However it is important to understand that an MP has no formal part to play in deciding planning applications. However an MP can make representations in the same way as members of the public and this has been done in this case.

Nothing so far has allayed fears of flooding or convinced the locals that the proposed development offers the benefits the council claims it will have.

The Stray Ferret has been investigating the unprecedented amount of housing development in the district and examining the impact of Harrogate Borough Council’s failure to have a Local Development Plan up to March 2020. 

In a series of special reports each morning next week we will be asking: 

Building Boom or Housing Crisis– have the wrong homes been built in the wrong places at the wrong price? 

A 72-year-old former guest-house owner is to face trial after she denied cannabis production.

Yoko Banks, of Scargill Road, Harrogate, appeared at York Crown Court yesterday to face three charges.

The alleged offences took place at properties in Harrogate, where cannabis grows were discovered by police in September.

Banks pleaded not guilty to being concerned in the production of a Class B drug. Judge Sean Morris adjourned the case for a trial starting on March 2 next year.

Read more:

• Woman, 72, in court today on cannabis production charges
• Police drugs bust near Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Thieves tricked their way into an elderly woman’s house in Summerbridge, stealing bank cards which were later used for transactions in Ripon and Darlington.

The pair – a man and a woman – told the occupant they were from a disability service and were allowed into her home.

While there, on Wednesday, October 14 between 4.30pm and 5pm, they took three bank cards which were later used to make fraudulent transactions. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, we are appealing for information about the identity of the people in the CCTV images as officers would like to speak to them in connection with the incident.”

Read more:

• Police hunt owner of Cockapoodle that bit man in Burn Bridge
• Man arrested in Harrogate after suspected £1,500 shoplifting haul

Anyone with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two, and ask for Katie Bell, or email katarina.bell@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200181553.

A 72-year-old woman from Harrogate will appear in court this morning charged with three counts of cannabis production.

Yoko Banks, of Scargill Road, will be at York Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing this morning.

Should she plead not guilty, a trial date will be set. If she pleads guilty, sentencing will also happen at a future hearing.

Ms Banks was charged following a police incident in central Harrogate on Saturday, September 26.

Officers were called to Alexandra Road, where they said they found “cannabis littering the entire street”. They then investigated a house on the road and discovered a “large quantity” of cannabis plants inside.

Not long after, police also discovered two other cannabis grows on Somerset Road and on Woodlands Road.

Read more:

• Police charge Harrogate woman, 72, after major cannabis find
• Police drugs bust near Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

A 72-year-old woman was arrested at the scene. Six other suspects travelling in two vehicles left the scene of the original incident on Alexandra Road, but were later stopped and arrested by Hertfordshire Police.

The six people were charged with possession of class B drugs with intent to supply. They were sent to court, which remanded them in custody.

A man in his 20s was also arrested on September 28 and released on bail, taking the total number of arrests up to eight.

A simple idea to create festive spirit in Harrogate has gone global in just a few days.

Wanting to bring people together at the end of a difficult year, Mary Beggs-Reid came up with the idea for a Christmas Eve Doorstep Jingle last week.

She set up a Facebook group, supported by the Harrogate Mumbler network, to invite local people to ring bells on their doorstep at 6pm on Christmas Eve and even sing a few carols if they wanted.

Within hours, the group was attracting interest from around the world. Less than a week later, it had 160,000 members – and an event sent up on Facebook had 570,000 people interested in taking part.

More groups have also been set up for people in other countries, including Canada, America and Australia, all linking back to Mary’s original idea. She told the Stray Ferret:

“It just blew up over night and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It’s all from one hub, but there are people around the world doing it at 6pm their time, in their country.

“It’s going to be like a wave across the world – everybody is getting involved. If we pull it off, it will sound fantastic.”

Read more:

• Downing Street Christmas tree chosen in Harrogate today
• Charity calls on community to help spread Christmas cheer

Mary’s inspiration for the event came from the film Elf, where residents of New York sing together to power Santa’s sleigh with their Christmas spirit. Mary added:

“I thought people might be too embarrassed to sing, so I thought of bell-ringing. All the kids will love it, thinking they are going to fly Santa’s sleigh.”

The Facebook group has become so busy that Mary has enlisted the help of friends to help her organise it. People are sharing their own Christmas traditions and ideas from around the world and discussing how they can make this year special, even if they can’t do what they normally would.

The Facebook group has also become a hub for people to support each other. A buddying system will see anyone feeling lonely receive a message from someone else on Christmas Day, while one group member is working on a Christmas Day quiz to run on Zoom.

Mary and her family will be ringing bells on their doorsteps at 6pm on Christmas Eve.

As well as setting up the event, Mary is working with Sally Haslewood at Harrogate Mumbler to create a sheet of carols which people will be able to download nearer Christmas so they can sing with their neighbours if they want to. There will also be a poster for people to put in their windows, spreading the word about the plans.

Mary hopes people who don’t use social media will find out from their friends and neighbours and will be able to join in – especially those who live alone and may feel particularly isolated at Christmas.

“It’s lovely everyone wants to get involved in it. It’s free, it’s going to make everyone feel much better – it’s giving everyone an escape from the doom and gloom.

“There’s two months to go yet, but whatever tier you’re in, this can’t be cancelled and that’s why people are enjoying it so much.”