‘Crazy Russian’ found guilty of murder at Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove

A man nicknamed the ‘crazy Russian’ has been found guilty of brutally murdering Gracijus Balciauskas at a flat on Mayfield Grove, Harrogate in December last year.

After two days of deliberation, the jury at Leeds Crown Court found Vitalijus Koreiva guilty by a majority verdict of 11-1.

Polish national Jaroslaw Rutowicz was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a majority of 11-1. Judge Rodney Jameson QC told him he will also receive a “substantial custodial sentence”.

Mr Balciauskas, from Lithuania, was just 41 years old when he was killed.

Body wrapped in a rug

The trial began last month with the court hearing how Mr Balciauskas’s body was found wrapped in a rug after a lengthy drinking binge involving the three friends turned violent.

CCTV footage was shown of the men leaving the flat to buy more alcohol on several occasions in the hours leading to the murder.

Rutowicz told the court how Koreiva, who is Lithuanian, erupted during a drunken game of chess with Mr Balciauskas at 5am, which led to Koreiva punching and then kicking him.

Read more on the trial:

Harrowing video footage taken on Rutowicz’s phone of a bloodied and bruised Mr Balciauskas was shown in court. The clips showed him being kicked by Koreiva whilst he was laying defenceless on the floor pleading for help.

In one of the videos, Rutowicz was heard shouting at Mr Balciauskas in Polish, “Why the f*** did you send us there? Now you look like this”.

‘The crazy Russian’

During the trial, Rutowicz said he had been threatened by Koreiva with his life if he called 999 after Mr Balciauskas died. He said Koreiva’s nickname in Harrogate was the “crazy Russian” and he had an unpredictable character.

However, prosecuting barrister Peter Moulson QC poured scorn on his claim and accused Rutowicz of lying.

Last week, Koreiva pleaded guilty to manslaughter after telling the court he had been an alcoholic since he was 13. He argued he was not in control of his actions on the night Mr Balciauskas died, which the jury ultimately rejected.

Mr Balciauskas died of internal bleeding after being kicked in the spleen. The prosecution told the jury he could have been saved if either man had called an ambulance sooner.

Instead, the pair carried on their drinking session.

Koreiva and Rutowicz will be sentenced next month.

Mind blowing Harrogate company makes waves in mental health

This story is sponsored by The Brain Collective.

The idea that you can train the brain to tackle emotional issues, behavioural and developmental problems, and slow the decline of early dementia patients is mind blowing.

Prior to meeting the team at The Brain Collective in Harrogate, I had never heard of neurotherapy. So I was amazed to discover that this innovative approach to therapy was available right on my doorstep.

I visited the impressive clinic at Windsor House, on Cornwall Road, to find out how it became the largest Neurotherapy clinic in the UK.

As soon as I walked in, I was made to feel at ease as I sat down for a chat with the company’s founders, Melanie Adeley and Maria Walters.

When I listened to Melanie’s incredible story, it became clear why she embarked on this journey.

Melanie was up night after night with her son, who was suffering badly with epileptic seizures despite medication and required Ritalin for his ADHD.

In desperation, she joined a support website, Epilepsymums.com in America and came across a world-renowned Neurotherapist called Paul Swingle in Canada who offered an alternative therapy for the brain.

After travelling to Vancouver for neurofeedback training over a period of two weeks he was sleeping through the night, with much improved seizure control. Melanie was sold!

After two further visits to Vancouver over the space of two years and a dramatic improvement in her son’ difficulties thanks to the Neurofeedback training, she launched The Brain Collective alongside her good friend and business partner, Maria.

Now part of a team of six, Melanie and Maria have spent the best part of a decade dedicating their lives to helping others by using the revolutionary and rapidly evolving method, which involves regulating and stabilising the brain.

Melanie, who also works as a Consultant Anaesthetist at Harrogate District Hospital, said:

“We set the company up because we were struggling to find good answers for our own children with the traditional medical approach.”

Maria shared a similar experience with her son, a competitive cyclist, who suffered a significant head injury. After taking part in a Neurotherapy programme his post-concussion symptoms dramatically improved.

So, the pair embarked on extensive training in America amongst world leaders in the field before taking it to a professional level, opening the clinic in Windsor House eight-and-a-half years ago.

However, despite the incredible results, which are completely drug-free, Melanie and Maria said many people still haven’t heard of Neurotherapy and Neurofeedback.

Taking a brain map.

Maria said:

“We spend a lot of time talking to our clients about their symptomatic and functional difficulties and then take a QEEG recording to generate brain maps and gain a deeper understanding of the brain.

“The training plan is completely tailored to the individual because our brains are unique, and nobody has had the same set of experiences in life.”

To date they have helped children and adults with brain imbalances including ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, insomnia, long Covid and brain injuries, including concussion and stroke.

They also help healthy people to “train their brains”, including top athletes, who want to reach peak performance. Essentially, anyone has the potential to benefit from neurofeedback training.

“We offer a wide range of different therapy options to supplement the fundamental Neurofeedback approach, some of which can be delivered remotely when appropriate.

“The Neurotherapy approach offers a drug-free, talk-free, safe, and effective therapy which regulates and stabilises brains to improve the quality of life for a wide range of people when other therapies have failed.

“We pride ourselves in developing an effective therapeutic relationship with our clients to support them on their journey.”

“We track our client’s progress throughout therapy to ensure we can evolve the most effective protocol to get the best outcome as efficiently as possible.”

For more information on how the team at The Brain Collective can help you, visit www.thebraincollective.co.uk or give them a call on 01423 565522.

Harrogate district prepares for heatwave as red weather warning issued

The Met Office has upgraded its weather warnings to red for the Harrogate district on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Temperatures are set to rise as high as 38C in the early part of the week, before dropping rapidly from Wednesday onwards.

The warmer weather begins tomorrow, with highs of 24C, rising to 30C on Sunday. A previous amber weather warning has been upgraded to red, meaning there is a risk to health among the general population, not just the most vulnerable.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said:

“Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking, temperatures are likely on Monday, then again on Tuesday.

“Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm for the UK, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.”

Read more:

The forecast has prompted some event organisers across the Harrogate district to make changes to their plans.

At St Michael’s Hospice on Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, an open garden event on Sunday has been brought forward to the morning rather than later in the day as the heat increases, and organisers are reminding visitors to bring sun hats and sunscreen.

St Michael's Hospice

A spokesperson said:

“While the beautiful warm weather looks set to continue, there is plenty of shady areas, lots of water available and – while stocks last – free ice cream and ice lollies to cool you down, thanks to the charity’s corporate supporters Froneri.

“Drop in any time between 10am and 12 to see stunning views and garden areas, enjoy refreshments and a mindful moment. Entry is free, however do bring some cash as there will also be a raffle and a plant sale.”

Harrogate Borough Council is also considering changing the location of an event on Sunday evening. A spokesperson said:

“We are looking at the best location for the open air theatre in the Valley Gardens on Sunday to ensure there is shade available under trees.”

Meanwhile, care homes are being given advice by North Yorkshire County Council to keep their residents well during the high temperatures.

Cllr Michael Harrison, executive member for health and adult services, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have got regular communication with all of our care homes. We’ve about 225 care homes in North Yorkshire and we make sure from a public health perspective that we give various messages about keeping out of the sun, drinking lots of fluids and being more concerned about the welfare of people.

“That’s not only in care settings – it’s also for people to look out for their next door neighbours and other vulnerable people.”

Harrogate roads set for three weeks of resurfacing work

Four Harrogate roads are set to undergo three weeks of resurfacing work which will see road closures and temporary traffic lights in place.

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department will carry out the work on Claro Road, Ainsty Road, Devonshire Place and Coach Road from Sunday, July 24.

As part of the work, the roads will be closed or have two-way traffic lights in place.

Resurfacing will be carried out on the following dates and locations:

Ainsty Road will undergo patching work on Friday, July 29 under a road closure from 7.30am to 11.30pm, but access will be maintained for residents.

Read more:

Advance warning signs will be installed at all locations and a signed diversion route will be in place.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said: 

“We are working hard to improve the condition of North Yorkshire’s roads, with an extensive programme of works across the county to improve the condition of our vast network.

“The maintenance works on these key Harrogate roads are the latest in our efforts, and I know they will be very much welcome.”

Bus services ‘facing potential cliff-edge’

Bus services in a county that failed to secure any money to improve services in the government’s high-profile Bus Back Better scheme are now facing “a potential cliff-edge”, North Yorkshire’s transport boss has warned.

In a statement to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council next Wednesday, Cllr Keane Duncan said the authority was aware several of the county’s commercial routes were facing “significant pressures”, due to the loss of government subsidies in three months.

The warning from the Conservative-led council’s executive member for highways and transportation comes ahead of bus services across the country having to introduce a £2 price cap on local and regional journeys from October.

It also comes just three months after it emerged the authority’s £116 million Bus Back Better bid had been rejected in its entirety by the government, which claimed the bid had lacked “sufficient ambition”.

As winning the grant had been crucial for elements of the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, the authority expressed dismay at the decision.

Even ahead of the decision in March, members of the authority’s executive had underlined the need for bus services for the county’s rural communities, which dwindled following significant austerity cutbacks.

Cllr Duncan said the council had launched a review of the passenger service network across the county to understand which could become threatened in the coming months.

He said:

“The end of the Commercial Bus Services Support Grant provided by central government in October presents a potential cliff-edge in terms of the future profitability of routes our residents rely upon.”

Read more:

He said the review would enable him to assess potential support the council could provide “to keep as many of our vital services running as possible”.

The authority’s opposition leader, Councillor Bryn Griffiths, said concerns had been mounting for the viability of some bus services as they appeared to have reached a tipping point.

Coun Griffiths said by giving one-off grants for specific projects limited to certain places the government was failing to provide the resources needed to improve access to public transport across England’s largest county.

He said:

“It’s an appalling situation. We lose out in the north of England in rural areas because the government doesn’t recognise the issues.

“Places like Bilsdale have no bus services on Sundays because the county council cannot afford to subsidise them, so people can’t get to hospitals to visit their loved ones. Cutting services even further is just ridiculous.

“It’s a vicious circle. You get fewer services, so it gets less and less attractive for people to use.”

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Great Yorkshire Show final day traffic update

Drivers should expect delays heading into Harrogate today as the Great Yorkshire Show enters its final day.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic roundup.

Roads

As previously reported, traffic management measures for the Great Yorkshire Show remain in place throughout the event.

A one-way system in place on Wetherby Road coming from Kestrel roundabout is in force.

As it is the final day of the show, motorists should expect delays from Spofforth, Wetherby and Knaresborough to the roundabout.

Drivers heading out of Harrogate are reminded that there is no through access on Wetherby Road to Kestrel roundabout.

All traffic has to turn left onto Forest Lane.

Sainsbury’s and the petrol station on Wetherby Road remain closed during the event.

More details on the traffic management arrangements in place can be found here.

Meanwhile, long term roadworks are in place on Station Road in Goldsborough. The road will be closed until September 19, 2022, as Stonebridge Homes installs a foul water and surface water pipes to connect to the sewer system.

A diversion route is in place in the village.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting that its 21 service will not be able to reach Goldsborough village due to the ongoing roadworks in the village.

A free shuttle bus is running to the Great Yorkshire Show from Harrogate Bus Station.

Read more:

 

New town with 3,000 homes could get just 20% affordable housing

The proportion of affordable homes to be built at Harrogate’s biggest development in decades could be just 20 per cent.

Maltkiln is a 3,000-home settlement planned for the Hammerton and Cattal area.

It aims to play a major role in addressing the district’s housing need by providing “much-needed homes and jobs in a sustainable location”.

But a newly-published development plan document from Harrogate Borough Council states that the number of homes to be classed as affordable is “anticipated to be within a range of 20 to 40 per cent”.

The council’s target for affordable homes at all new housing sites is 40 per cent.

It said achieving this figure at Maltkiln will be “challenging” as the development needs to be financially viable.

Yet the council also admits the affordability of homes is a “key issue” that needs to be addressed as Harrogate remains as one of the most unaffordable places to live in England.

High house prices

Average house prices in the district are around 11 times average incomes, forcing many people out of the area.

The Maltkiln document states:

“Whilst we want to strive to deliver as much affordable housing as possible, an element of flexibility will also be required.

“This is explicitly acknowledged in the justification to the affordable housing policy where delivery is anticipated to be within a range of 20% to 40%.”

The document also said this range is “not out of step” with other large housing settlements elsewhere in the UK “where figures of 15 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent have been set”.

Read more:

But councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on the council, said the authority should be aiming for at least its own 40 per cent target in order to provide homes for those most in need.

She also said that during the creation of the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, her party’s vision for Maltkiln was an “eco-village” which is not car dependent and has many community facilities.

Cllr Marsh said:

“That eco-village had to be in a sustainable place and therefore the area around the Hammertons with two rail halts seemed an ideal place.

“Once taken up and accepted as the new settlement site, there has been a need to ensure all the right infrastructure is in place to serve the existing and new community.

“This includes schools including a secondary school, shops, open spaces and sports pitches. Also, that the houses built would be carbon neutral.

“Added to that the requirement of 40 per cent affordable homes which is very important and we should not consider the delivery of less.”

Flaxby rejected

The Hammerton and Cattal area was chosen as the location for the huge housing plans after rival proposals for 2,750 homes on the former Flaxby Golf Course were rejected by the council in a decision which led to a legal challenge from the developers.

The proposals for Maltkiln include two primary schools and land for a secondary school, as well as shops, employment space and a GP surgery which will be centred around the train station.

The council said it chose this location due to its transport links with the York-Harrogate-Leeds railway line and the A59.

It also said this location will “steer development away” from nearby residents who previously warned the housing plans will be “utterly devastating” for surrounding villages.

A six-week consultation on the development plan document is planned for October when residents will be asked to share their views on areas including roads and public transport.

After this, the document will then be submitted to the government for public examination.

GC Motors owner completes £250,000 property refit

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Giles Castleton, the owner of GC Motors in Harrogate, has completed the £250,000 refit of Adam House, a four-storey office block adjacent to the car dealership on Ripon Way, Harrogate.

The refurbishment is in preparation for the property being offered for re-letting.

Adam House has parking and electric car charging points as well as secure bike stores.

Mr Castleton said:

“We already own several properties on this site and when Adam House became available we were keen to add it to our portfolio. It’s a fantastic building with a great deal to offer. It’s in a great location, just a mile from Harrogate town centre, it’s very accessible by either car, bike or public transport.”

Clem McDowell, office agency director at property consultants Carter Towler, which is marketing the property, said:

“By removing the existing partitioning, upgrading all the communal facilities including toilets and kitchens, adding energy efficient lighting and air conditioning with air recirculation, this impressive, stand-alone property is now perfect for progressive businesses such as solicitors, accountants, IT and media agencies looking for additional space.”

Harrogate clinic to bring pioneering stem cell treatment to UK

A Harrogate surgery is set to bring a pioneering stem cell treatment to the UK.

Mallappa Kolar, whose family runs Kliniken plastic and cosmetic surgery clinic, is set to pioneer a new variation of the procedure which helps patients with painful osteoarthritis.

The procedure uses a HumanMed ‘Q-graft’ machine that isolates stem cells using a combination of methods to increase the purity of stem cells obtained from the fat.

The treatment itself focuses on utilising fat cells to aid regeneration within the area affected through use of targeted injections at the problem regions and joints.

Mr Kolar said his experience of seeing the effects of arthritis first hand inspired him to pursue stem cell research.

He said:

“It all started when I saw first-hand the disabling effects that arthritis has on both the physical and mental status of an individual, which I witnessed through my own parents’ suffering. This really hit home when seeing my son, their first grandchild, wanted them to join him playing and their inability to join in with him because of the pain.

“I knew then that this was an area I was deeply passionate about and wanting to work further on towards solutions that really work – so that is what I did.”

Read more:

 

Consultation announced for two new cycle routes

Consultation is to begin this summer on two new cycle routes in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire County Council received £1,011,750 last year from the Department for Transport’s active travel fund to improve cycling and walking infrastructure.

The funding is due to be spent on two schemes in the Harrogate district and one in Whitby.

The Harrogate district schemes are on the A59 Harrogate Road, Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close and on Victoria Avenue, between the A61 (West Park) and Station Parade.

Victoria Avenue

The Victoria Avenue cycle path could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

A third Harrogate scheme for Oatlands Drive was scrapped after a negative response, but new proposals to cut congestion in the area are due to be revealed in autumn.

The funding was secured more than a year ago and little discernible progress has been made since then.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council for an update.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The two proposed schemes in Harrogate — along the A59 and on Victoria Avenue — are currently in the detailed design stage to understand the cost and funding requirements.

“We are carrying out road safety audits on the routes this month before taking the final designs to a public consultation in the late summer.”

Read more:

But it seems the Knaresborough scheme will not proceed any time soon.

Although North Yorkshire County Council is leading on the project, the issue was raised last week at a Harrogate Borough Council meeting.

Stray land

Harrogate Borough Council has ringfenced £500,000 towards the Knaresborough scheme from its investment reserve.

When asked about progress on the initiative, Councillor Phil Ireland, the cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, told the meeting “there has been an acceptance that this will not happen prior to local government reorganisation” in April next year.

Cllr Ireland said:

“We definitely want a cycleway between Harrogate and Knaresborough. However, it won’t happen quickly as further funding will need to be identified, plus there’s always the perennial issue of Stray land on the verges of Knaresborough Road.”

He added that the borough council, which will be abolished in April, was considering allocating the funding to other “shovel-ready schemes” from North Yorkshire County Council, such as the Victoria Avenue initiative.

Cllr Ireland said the borough council was “waiting for some more information’ from the county council before making a decision.

The Victoria Avenue scheme could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood, if the decision to close the road to through traffic is continued.

 

 

Residents unconvinced about Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion

Harrogate residents remain unconvinced about Harrogate Spring Water‘s plans to fell trees in Rotary Wood to expand its bottling plant.

The company, which is now owned by the French firm Danone, held a three-hour consultation event yesterday at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel.

It was a chance for people to make suggestions on the design and landscaping of the proposed extension. The company said the responses would influence its final design.

Since 2017, it has had outline planning permission to expand its production facilities on its site on Harlow Moor Road that would involve felling trees.

It is now putting together a ‘reserved matters’ application which will detail how the new building will look, how the surrounding area will be landscaped and crucially, where new trees will be be replanted.

The Stray Ferret went along to speak to attendees and representatives of Danone, including Harrogate Spring Water’s managing director Richard Hall.

Passionate views

Throughout the evening there was a slow trickle of curious people looking at display boards that offered background on the plans and reasons why the company feels it needs to expand. The boards are available to view online here.

Some saw the event as a chance to passionately tell Mr Hall what they feel are the wrongs of the company, including the merits of plastic bottles.

Sarah Gibbs has been a long-term campaigner against the expansion and often dons her trademark tree costume. She said:

“My stance is we are in a climate emergency. We need to start acting like it. Why do we need bottled water?”.

Rotary Wood

Rebecca Maunder campaigns for the environment in the Harlow Hill area.

She believes it’s not a certainty that the trees will be lost if a case can be made that any replacement tree planting proposals are insufficient.

She suggested the company should instead look to expand its premises in different ways.

“They should build it on their car park.”

Ms Maunder said Rotary Wood “belongs to all of us” and is worried the business will look to further encroach into the woodland in the future.

She added:

“In three years they might want more space.”

How the site currently looks from above.

Read more:

Complex issues

When Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee considered the company’s last bid to expand in January 2021, it was for some, a simple battle between the profits of a private business and the environment.

Richard Hall said to frame the debate in these terms is unfair and is “more complex” than what is sometimes presented.

When asked if he is personally concerned about the effects of climate change. He said:

“I think that everyone is thinking about the climate. I’d like to behave in a way that takes into account the future”.

Mr Hall confirmed the company still wants to plant trees in a private field behind RHS Harlow Carr, as it proposed last time, but this is “not enough” and it wants to plant more.

Mr Hall said they have been in talks with some landowners but are yet to come to any agreements.

Last time many objectors, including local climate scientist Professor Piers Forster, were unhappy that the felled trees would be replaced elsewhere with saplings, which are much less effective at soaking up CO2 emissions.

Mr Hall said the company is looking into how the new trees can ensure a “biodiversity net gain”.

On Rebecca Maunder’s car park suggestion, Mr Hall said it was not possible due to a sustainable drainage system underneath.

Sadness

Terry Knowles is a member of Rotary Club of Harrogate and chaired the group’s environmental committee from 2000 until 2015.

Mr Knowles is a key reason the trees were planted there in the first place, which began in 2005 and took around four years.

Terry Knowles inspecting the boards

Speaking in a personal capacity, he said he felt sadness that some trees that he planted with local schoolchildren, who are now adults, could be lost.

He said:

“Bottled water is not an environmental product. The last permission was in 2017 and a lot has changed since then.”