Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley sentenced to 22 years in prison

A Harrogate convicted murderer has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, was found guilty of killing 48-year-old Mark Wolsey at his bedsit on Mayfield Grove last month.

Ainsley stabbed Mr Wolsey 15 times in the chest and arm with a kitchen knife on March 5.

He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court this morning. He is expected to serve 21 years in prison after his 261 days spent in custody is deducted.

When sentencing Ainsley to prison, Judge Simon Phillips told him that the killing “left a massive hole” in the lives of those who knew Mr Wolsey.

He said:

“It has had a shattering impact upon those who loved him.”

Judge Phillips described Ainsley’s actions as “tragic and dreadful to a very high degree”.

He told Ainsley in court this morning:

“There is no doubt that you knew exactly what you had done.”

A “premeditated” and “goal-directed” murder

Ainsley was living in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit at 38 Mayfield Grove after he became homeless.

Police were first called to property on the night of March 5 after Mr Wolsey made a 999 call asking officers to remove Ainsley from his flat because he was scaring him.

He complained to the officers who arrived at the property that Mr Wolsey was keeping his medication from him, which led to an argument.

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Ainsley was taken to Harrogate District Hospital to pick up medication by police and instructed not to go back to the flat.

At 9.21pm, Ainsley left the hospital and was filmed on CCTV walking to Asda on Bower Road.

After entering the supermarket, he went to the kitchenware aisle where he purchased a box of knives. Ainsley used his own bank card to pay for the knives and went outside to dispose of all but one of them.

Ainsley then returned to Mayfield Grove where he stabbed Mr Wolsey to death, leaving the victim in his chair with the murder weapon still in his chest.

He admitted manslaughter, but denied murdering Mr Wolsey on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

However, it took a jury five hours and 17 minutes to find Ainsley guilty of murder on October 22.

Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that the murder was “premeditated”, “goal-directed” and “purposeful”.

Harrogate back in top three happiest places to live in Britain

Harrogate is back in the top three happiest places to live in Great Britain, according to a survey of tens of thousands of residents now in its tenth year.

Property website Rightmove is behind the poll, which measured factors such as community spirit, nature and the opportunity to develop skills locally.

This year’s poll of more than 21,000 people gave the Northumberland market town of Hexham the top spot, Richmond upon Thames in Greater London second place and Harrogate third.

While Harrogate previously topped the “happy at home index” in 2015, the spa town dropped to ninth place in the survey last year.

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Daryll Digpal, the managing director at Beadnall Copley in Harrogate said:

“Harrogate property prices across both lettings and sales markets soaring due to unprecedented demand fuelled by lockdowns and the Chancellor’s Stamp Duty holiday.

“The town boasts a thriving high street with many international retail brands, a booming hospitality industry and excellent state and private schools.

“Furthermore, at its heart is the famous Stray owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, a much enjoyed haven, particularly over the past 18 months.

“As such is it no surprise that this attractive spa town is one of the country’s happiest places to live.”

Where are the happiest place to live in Britain?

  1. Hexham, North East – average asking price £297,088
  2. Richmond upon Thames, Greater London – average asking price £1,196,892
  3. Harrogate, Yorkshire and Humber – average asking price £353,624
  4. Hove, South East – average asking price £525,906
  5. Llandrindod Wells, Wales – average asking price £193,601
  6. Stirling, Scotland – average asking price £191,226
  7. Monmouth, Wales – average asking price £312,649
  8. St Ives, South West – average asking price £494,393
  9. Anglesey, Wales – average asking price £278,391
  10. Leamington Spa, West Midlands – average asking price £350,981
  11. Perth, Scotland – average asking price £167,160
  12. Hitchin, East of England – average asking price £491,223
  13. Woodbridge, East of England – average asking price £427,542
  14. Kendal, North West – average asking price £258,961
  15. Macclesfield, North West – average asking price £277,772
  16. Exeter, South West – average asking price £303,215
  17. Salisbury, South West – average asking price £318,806
  18. Horsham, South East – average asking price £433,892
  19. St Albans, East of England – average asking price £632,320
  20. Guildford, South East – average asking price £542,947

Convicted Mayfield Grove killer to be sentenced

Convicted murderer Daniel Ainsley is set to appear before court today to be sentenced to prison.

Ainsley (pictured) was found guilty by a jury of murdering 48-year-old Mark Wolsey at his bedsit on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate.

Mr Wolsey was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services after Ainsley stabbed him 15 times in the chest and arm with a kitchen knife on March 5.

Now, the 24-year-old will appear before Leeds Crown Court this morning for sentencing.

Ainsley was living in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit at 38 Mayfield Grove after he became homeless.

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He admitted manslaughter, but denied murdering Mr Wolsey on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

However, it took a jury five hours and 17 minutes to find Ainsley guilty of murder on October 22.

Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that the murder was “premeditated”, “goal-directed” and “purposeful”.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s Connor back with you this morning to update you with travel alerts to keep your journey moving.

I’ll let you know about roadworks, delayed trains and any traffic hotspots that could cause you delays.

If you spot anything, and it is safe to do so, give me a call on 01423 276197 and we can help other commuters too.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning, I am heading over to the news desk now. Hopefully you have found the blog helpful. I will be back from 6.30am tomorrow.

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8.30am – Full Update 

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8am – Full Update 

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7.30am – Full Update 

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7am – Full Update 

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The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

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6.30am – Full Update 

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The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

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Consultation agreed over merger of two Harrogate primary schools

Plans to merge two Harrogate primary schools have taken a step forward today after county councillors agreed to move proposals to the consultation stage.

North Yorkshire County Council met today to discuss a proposed merger for Woodfield Community Primary School and Grove Road Community Primary School, with parents set to be asked for their views when the consultation opens on December 2.

The schools sit just half a mile apart, but have very different Ofsted ratings, pupils numbers and finances.

Grove Road is rated as “good” by Ofsted inspectors, while Woodfield is judged “inadequate” and currently in special measures.

Woodfield has also failed to find an academy trust willing to take it over.

Due to pupil numbers determining the level of funding that a school receives, it is forecasting to be almost £333,000 in debt by 2024 due to the 49 pupils currently enrolled.

At Grove Road, the school is currently operating at capacity with almost 300 pupils and is forecasting a budget surplus by 2026.

Speaking today, councillor Patrick Mulligan, executive member for education and skills at the county council, described the proposed merger as an “exciting opportunity” for both schools and said the authority would listen to all comments during the consultation:

“We are confident it will achieve the best possible provision for all pupils, and importantly ensuring that the Woodfield site continues to be used for education of the wider community.

“The proposed amalgamation would be achieved through the technical closure of Woodfield School, and the enlargement of Grove Road School through future use of the Woodfield site.”

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A new leadership team was appointed at Woodfield when it was placed into special measures in January 2020 and an Ofsted monitoring report has since said “effective action” is being taken to remove the worst-possible rating.

However, Cllr Mulligan said these arrangements were only ever temporary and that the merger has been proposed as the school still faces an “uncertain future”.

He said:

“The two governing bodies carefully considered the proposals before half term, and both agreed to ask us to start a consultation.

“We have worked together with the schools to assess how education provision within the Woodfield community could best be preserved.

“Families, staff, and other members of the local community will have opportunities to consider the detail of the proposals during the consultation period.”

The consultation will run until January 22 next year before a final decision is made by the county council three months later in April.

If approved, the merger would create a single primary school operating on both school sites from September 2022.

‘Sneak peek’: Harrogate’s new Manhattan-style cocktail bar

Harrogate’s answer to a Manhattan cocktail bar will open it’s doors on Friday, with the launch of 63rd+1st.

Decked out in trendy dark blue and gold, and featuring lots of greenery, the restaurant, lounge and bar on Albert Street is aimed at customers who might just want a nibble and a drink after work or a meal out with friends.

The restaurant area.

The extensive selection of cocktails, priced at around £10, include the likes of a New York Hangover and a Fuhgeddaboudit, as well as a more traditional selection. There is also a good choice of low alcohol or alcohol-free options.

With plenty of other restaurants in the area, as well as bars on nearby John Street, the venue will need to stand out from the crowd.

And general manager Eva Souza, from Harrogate, who has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years, believes it will.

She said:

“The location is really great in the town centre. I believe we are the right cocktail bar and restaurant for this particular place.

“People love to go out here and enjoy nice surroundings and I believe this is the right place for Harrogate people.

“There are a lot of Italian restaurants in this area and this is something unique. I believe it is something new for the town.

“Our bartenders are really well-trained and the bar itself is beautiful. You can sit around it and watch them prepare the cocktails.

“It’s like a home away from home and we want to be a nice, cosy place for everyone. The place is very stylish and I hope guests will be very happy here.”

General manager Eva Souza enjoying a cocktail in the lounge area.

The new 3,380 sq ft venue, which was formerly Ask Italian, seats 101, as well as another 12 outside.

The menu is inspired by Manhattan street food and features small plates to enjoy with a cocktail, as well as larger dishes.

It includes a ‘signature burger’ steaks and seafood, as well as savoury donuts, a crayfish roll and a corndog. Small plates include arancini and calamari.

Head chef Nick Chappelow, who is also from Harrogate, said:

“I’m excited to cook all of it. The menu is great.

“I like the fact that there are sharing plates on the menu. It’s more relaxed and you get to just graze, so it’s somewhere in between tapas and a main meal starter size.

“The jammy chicken lollipops are insane.

“There’s a really good team here. I’ve been a head chef for 20 plus years, so I’ve seen a lot and it’s nice to go into this going forward.

“It’s fresh and funky and we are going to hit the ground running.”

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Brunch will be served from 9am on a Friday and over the weekend and there will also be a Sunday lunch option. Diners can also choose table service or they can order and pay using a tablet.

American-style booths in the restaurant area.

The venue, which will generate 30 part-time and full-time jobs, is being developed by Hostmore PLC, which also includes TGI Fridays as part of its portfolio. It is named after the street in New York that was home to the original TGI Fridays and where Tom Cruise filmed Cocktail.

Harrogate’s branch is the third to open in the UK behind Surrey in May and Glasgow in September.

Ferris wheel joins host of Christmas attractions in Harrogate

A ferris wheel is now in place on Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens joining a host of other Christmas fairground attractions including a helter skelter and a carousel.

The arrival of the ferris wheel was delayed due to a missing part but now it’s here it completes the Christmas attractions organised by Harrogate BID and Harrogate Borough Council.

The hope is that the three attractions, alongside the Christmas markets and other events, will entice people to visit the town and give a boost to local businesses.

These three rides are set to stay in place until early January.

A festive road train will also travel around the town centre from Friday, December 3 to Sunday, December 12.

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Free parking at Harrogate multi-storey to encourage Christmas shoppers

Parking will be free after 3pm in Harrogate’s Victoria multi-storey car park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The initiative will last until December 23 and will be paid for by Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) to encourage Christmas shoppers and revellers into the town midweek.

Harrogate BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Free parking in the run up to Christmas is what the town’s retailers have asked for, and I’m delighted to say it’s what we are now giving, four days a week, right up to the Thursday before Christmas.

“Victoria Car Park has acres of spaces and connects directly with the Victoria Shopping Centre, giving easy access to the heart of the town centre and the wonderful shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues it’s home to.

“With our Christmas lights now dazzling, Harrogate is looking absolutely fabulous and really  is well worth a visit for shopping, eating and drinking.”

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County council meets today to discuss fate of two Harrogate primary schools

The plans for Woodfield Community Primary School to merge with nearby Grove Road Community Primary School have been met with fierce backlash from some parents.

Woodfield was put into special measures by Ofsted in January 2020. Any school judged “inadequate” by Ofsted is required to become a sponsored academy but Woodfield failed to find an academy willing to take it on.

At the meeting today county councillors will discuss whether the merger should move to a consultation period from December 2. It has already been discussed by the governing bodies of each school.

The consultation stage would last until January 22, next year with a final decision taken by the executive board in April.

Woodfield Primary School has been under-subscribed for years, according to a county council report. It currently has 49 pupils and Grove Road has 292.

New format for the schools

The Woodfield site would initially operate as a nursery for children from both schools while Grove Road would cater for children from reception to year six.

Then from September 2023, all nursery children and reception pupils would be based at the current Woodfield site, which would eventually accommodate all key stage 1 pupils. All key stage 2 children would be based at the current Grove Road site.

The county council report says if the proposals went ahead, there would be 350 primary school places available across the two sites of the amalgamated Grove Road School.

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The report spoke of the future of staff at Woodfield school:

“The county council is the employer for staff at both Grove Road Community Primary School and Woodfield Community Primary School and the Governing Bodies will seek to protect employment as far as possible for staff currently employed at Woodfield.

“A separate HR consultation process for staff and their professional associations will commence in the spring term and the Governing Bodies will most likely propose an internal transfer of staff from Woodfield to Grove Road.”

 

Upset and anger as Otley Road tree felled for cycle path

A Harrogate resident said he is “upset and angry” because a mature tree was felled today to make way for the Otley Road cycle path.

Works have continued throughout November to build the new cycle path, which is part of a package of sustainable transport measures in the west of Harrogate.

For the first phase of the route, a section is being created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road.

But to make way for the route, two mature trees have to be felled, including one today near Pannal Ash Drive.

Chris Dicken, who has lived off Otley Road for 35 years, said he enjoyed looking at the tree and was angry to see workers remove it this morning.

“I am intensely angry. It is a mature well-loved landmark that has been felled for minor benefit.

“They are taking a nice green environment and putting tarmac down.

“I’m very angry and upset.”

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The long-awaited introduction of a cycle path on Otley Road has been welcomed by Harrogate District Cycle Action as a major step forward for active travel infrastructure in the town.

However, Mr Dicken, who is a cyclist himself, criticised the “badly designed” cycle path. He believes cyclists will not be encouraged to use it because 58% of it will be shared with pedestrians.

“They said it will reduce traffic on Otley Road, but there’s no evidence that will happen.”

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council said:

“To accommodate Otley Road cycle route, this is the one and only tree that has to be removed in Phase 1, with one more in Phase 2. We intend to replace these two trees with new plantings on Harrogate Grammar School and Yorkshire Water land, and we are in active discussion with both parties. We are also working with Harrogate Borough Council to plant additional trees on Otley Road; meaning there will be more trees following this scheme than there were before.

“A congestion study in Harrogate showed overwhelming public support for sustainable transport provision as an alternative to the use of the car. Otley Road cycleway is one element of ongoing projects in Harrogate to make it easier and safer for people to use active, sustainable modes of transport, such as cycling.”

Works have also taken place to widen the junction on Harlow Moor Road for motorists, which has involved the felling of ten other trees.