Harrogate man jailed for cashpoint robbery of mother

A heroin addict with over 100 offences to his name has been jailed for over four years for the cashpoint robbery of a young woman and a shocking attack that left a man with a broken neck.

Clifford McDermid, 44, targeted the woman as she withdrew £150 from the cash machine outside Sainsbury’s Local on Kings Road in Harrogate.

McDermid crept up behind her and snatched the money from her grasp, saying “Thank you” as he fled amid the “terrified” woman’s screams, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Michael Cahill said the victim, who was named in court, was with her five-year-old son at the time of the incident on December 4, 2019.

McDermid, a heroin addict, was identified on CCTV and arrested later that day in Grove Park Terrace.

He told police:

“I can’t believe I did that. I’m ashamed of myself. Robbing a lady at a cash point. Her screams will live with me forever.”

Neighbour ‘feared dead’

McDermid was released under investigation and was still at large when he was involved in a run-in with his neighbour in March last year which could so easily have been fatal, the court was told.

A couple had just returned to their apartment block after a night out and could smell cannabis coming from McDermid’s flat.

McDermid, who was stood in the doorway, said to the husband: “What’s your problem?”

The victim, who was named in court, asked him to shut his door because of the smell coming from the flat and threatened to report the matter to their landlord, whereupon McDermid walked up to him, asking him to “leave it and not report it”.

He asked to shake hands but as the victim “reluctantly” did so, McDermid grabbed his hand “forcefully” and deliberately pulled him off-balance, causing him to fall down the stairs.

“He fell 12 stairs down the (stairway) and hit his head on the floor, losing consciousness,” said Mr Cahill.

The man’s terrified wife feared her husband had died and called 999. Police and an ambulance crew were called out.

Read more:

The victim – who suffered two fractures of his neck, two cuts to his head and a “frozen” shoulder — was taken to Harrogate District Hospital by ambulance. He was given cortisone injections and fitted with a neck collar for pain relief.

McDermid, of Kings Road, was arrested 12 days later and charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the victim and robbing the woman at the cash machine. He ultimately admitted both offences and appeared for sentence on Wednesday.

Thrown down stairs

The male victim said he had lost his job due to his injuries and still had trouble sleeping due to the pain in his neck. He could still barely move his right arm and was still receiving treatment.

His injuries had severely curtailed his once-active social life and he’d had to step down as captain of a snooker-and-darts team.

His wife said McDermid was clearly high on drugs and she thought she was “about to become a widow” when she saw her husband land head-first and lose consciousness after being thrown down the stairs.

“He could have been killed or (ended up) in a wheelchair,” she added.

The young mother who was robbed at the cash point said she was “stunned, shocked and extremely cross” after being targeted by McDermid in broad daylight.

She said McDermid must have targeted her because he knew that a mother with a young child wouldn’t be able to chase him. She added:

“This (incident) triggered weeks of not sleeping (and) I have a very demanding job.”

She had since suffered from anxiety which was a “horrid feeling” and was unable to pay some of her bills because £110 was a “huge chunk of my wage”.

McDermid had 48 previous convictions for 159 offences including theft from the person. In 2002, he was jailed for eight years for armed robbery.

Heroin habit

Danielle Graham, for McDermid, said the father-of-one had robbed the woman to get money for drugs. He had a 20-year heroin habit and a personality disorder exacerbated by drugs.

She said she could not argue against the profound effect these “nasty” incidents had had on both victims.

Judge Simon Hickey said McDermid had a “worrying” record and that he had “obviously” been lurking in the area waiting to target a “vulnerable woman with a child”.

He told McDermid he was “fortunate not to have killed” his neighbour after “deliberately pulling (him) off-balance and down 12 steps”.

McDermid was jailed for four years and nine months, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.

 

Bilton badgers wreak havoc in back garden

Two hungry badgers have been wreaking havoc in a Bilton back garden.

Gemma Jackson, who lives in the Harrogate suburb with her family, awoke one morning this summer to find large holes all over her lawn.

She bought a night-vision wildlife camera from eBay to try and find the culprit and was surprised to find two large badgers caught in the act searching for grubs.

She said:

“It was a surprise but my kids absolutely love them. My daughter has named them Thomas and Rosie.”

Despite the mess they’ve caused, the family enjoys looking at the night vision camera the next day to see if they’ve had their visitors. The badgers usually come between 11pm and 3.30am.

The badgers are developing a reputation as Bilton’s most famous animals, following the controversial exile of Peter the Peacock earlier this year.

Read more:

Ms Jackson thinks they might have wandered over from badger setts in Nidd Gorge to search for food.

She says she feels honoured to have them visit her garden, but wants them to stop as she is worried about the animals spreading disease.

“There’s nothing you can do because they are protected. So I’ve been blocking holes they come in. That’s what I’ve tried to do anyway, but they’ve just dug underneath!

“I must have a very good back garden for grubs.

“I’m quite honoured to have them.”

Bike ride in memory of Harrogate businessman raises £20,000

More than 30 cyclists took part in a 170-mile coast-to-coast challenge to raise money for charity in memory of a Harrogate businessman.

Richard Jones, who was well-known in Harrogate and Wetherby, died aged 51 in January this year with acute myeloid leukaemia, which is a type of blood cancer.

Mr Jones ran design agency Finepoint in Harrogate and audio visual company Clever Association.

He was due to take part in a cycle ride this year, which his friends have now completed as a tribute and to fundraise for Phoenix Health and Wellbeing.

Members of Wetherby Rugby Union Club completed the Way of the Roses cycle route for the challenge.

Richard with his son Frankie at the rugby club.

On day one they travelled 95 miles from Morecambe in Lancashire to Wetherby. On day two they took on 75 miles from Wetherby to Bridlington.

When the group returned, others club members welcomed them with homemade cakes and a barbecue.

Read more:

The club has already agreed to do another cycle race next year on September 9 and 10. Proceeds will go to Leukaemia Research.

Gill Trevor, who works for Phoenix Health and Wellbeing, and helped organise the event, said:

“We were delighted with the support from Wetherby RFC, especially with the event being in memory of someone like Richard.

“The monies raised will help so many people with mental health issues, who without our support, wouldn’t have access to our services.”

Since his death, Wetherby Rugby Club has raised £50,000 towards refurbishment of its Grange Park Clubhouse and £11,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice.

New Harrogate TGI Fridays venue to open in November

A TGI Fridays cocktail bar in Harrogate is set to open in November, according to the company’s chief executive.

The new bar and restaurant, called 63rd+1st, will be based in the former Ask Italian restaurant on Albert Street.

The American restaurant chain has already been granted a late night alcohol licence and advertising consent by Harrogate Borough Council for the venue.

Now Robert Cook, chief executive of TGI Fridays and 63rd+1st, has confirmed that the bar is set to open next month.

In a trading update for Hostmore, which is the parent company of both chains, he said:

“We are delighted with the continued strong performance of our two brands, Fridays and 63rd+1st.

“Fridays continues to outperform the market and we are opening our next two 63rd+1st sites – in Glasgow later in September and Harrogate in November – following a successful launch in Cobham earlier this year in May.”

Read more:

The Stray Ferret asked TGI Fridays if there was a specific date for opening, but did not receive a response by time of publication.

The company launched the new cocktail-led bar and restaurant venture last year. It is named after the location of the original restaurant in Manhattan.

The company has promised it will be a “vibrant meeting place” and that it will have the feel of a New York loft in the 1960s.

When the new brand was announced last year, Mr Cook said in a statement that “audiences are becoming increasingly discerning and their attitudes towards food and drink are evolving”. 

New residents for Harrogate almshouses after £200,000 upgrade

The Rogers’ almshouses in Harrogate have undergone a £200,000 refurbishment and welcomed three new residents.

Bradford mill owner George Rogers built the almshouses in 1868 for former employees when he retired to Harrogate.

They have provided low cost housing to people in need ever since.

Harrogate district mayor Trevor Chapman yesterday opened a new almshouse, which was created by converting an old laundry on the site.

Two other houses have been refurbished, meaning three new residents will move into the 15 dwellings, which are opposite St Peter’s Church of England Primary School on Belford Road.

The work was funded by a £95,000 grant by Homes England, which is the government housing agency, and funding from the Rogers’ Almshouse Charity, which owns the site.

The one-bedroom homes are run by a board of trustees, which includes the Dean of Bradford Cathedral, the vicars of Christ Church and St Peter’s Church in Harrogate along with a team of volunteers.

To qualify for an almshouse, residents must be aged over 60, have lived in Bradford or Harrogate for at least three years and meet hardship criteria.

Read more:

Guests from Homes England and the Almshouse Association were among those present at the opening of the new homes.

Schoolchildren from St Peter’s, who traditionally support the almshouses  by carol singing and presenting gifts at Christmas, sang at the event.

Stuart Holland, chair of trustees at Rogers’ Almshouse Charity, said:

“The grade two listed building is admired by so many as they pass by.

“They look at the brown plaque, enjoy the award winning garden and dream of living in such beautiful houses.”

Car stolen from Harrogate home in Hanoi-style burglary

Police have appealed for witnesses and CCTV footage after a car was stolen from a house in Harrogate in a Hanoi-style burglary.

A blue Audi A3 with the registration HV67 CPF was taken from a property on West Cliffe Terrace between 2am and 3am on October 2.

North Yorkshire Police has also said it is keen to trace a man who was in the area at the time of the theft. It is unclear if the force is treating him as a suspect or a witness.

The man who police want to speak to was described as wearing a grey hoodie and black jogging bottoms with short fair hair and a slim build.

Read more:

A spokesperson for the police said:

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

“In particular, we are requesting that people check their ring door bells or any CCTV within the surrounding streets to West Cliffe Terrace, during the hour we believe this occurred.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Smith 143.

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

Fears for thousands of Harrogate district jobs as furlough ends

There are fears for the jobs of around 3,600 workers in the Harrogate district in the wake of last week’s ending of furlough.

The government scheme introduced at the start of the covid outbreak has protected millions of jobs during the pandemic, with Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones saying it “got our country through the darkest days of the lockdown”.

But Liberal Democrat councillors in the district have warned that businesses and employees could now be hit by a “tidal wave of job losses” unless more support is made available.

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition group on Harrogate Borough Council, said the Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally were demanding the scheme be extended for businesses hit hardest by the pandemic.

She said: 

“The withdrawal of furlough risks having a devastating impact on at least 3,600 people in the Harrogate area who are already facing a winter of soaring energy bills and cuts to benefits.

“Supporting them and their families is both the right and responsible thing to do.

“Although many may find work in recovering sectors such as hospitality and travel, there is also likely to be a rise in unemployment due to new redundancies as businesses fail without the support of furlough.”

Some workers who relied on furlough are also now facing the added worry of the end of the £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit.

Read More:

This temporary increase to payments, which was introduced in response to the pandemic, ends tomorrow.

Citizens Advice has described this as a “disastrous decision” by the government and warned around 1.5 million claimants across the UK could be pushed into hardship this winter.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of the charity, said: 

“Shop workers, nursery assistants and security guards are just some of the people on Universal Credit seeking our help because they’re already struggling to make ends meet.”

Supported 28,600 jobs in Harrogate district

The furlough scheme supported around 28,600 jobs in the Harrogate district for 18 months.

It saw the government pay around £70 billion towards the wages of employees across the UK who could not work, or whose employers could no longer afford to pay them, up to a monthly limit of £2,500.

At first it paid 80% of their usual wage, but in August and September it paid 60%, with employers paying 20%.

Since its end, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has pledged more than £500 million in fresh funding to help people back into work and support sectors which are facing recruitment crises.

Funding for the new packages will not be set out until later this month and it comes at a time when Mr Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are facing pressure to ease the historically high tax burden.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Mr Jones said while now was the right time for furlough to end, the extra funding showed the government was willing to continue its support for jobs during the covid recovery.

He added: 

“The furlough scheme is estimated to have cost £70bn and this will need repaying. But the human and financial cost of letting industries, businesses and jobs go to the wall during lockdown would have been catastrophic.

“It is going to be a bumpy road ahead even so but without the actions that were taken it is difficult to imagine what the situation would have been.”

Harrogate animal testing company bids to expand

Economy leaders at Harrogate Borough Council have backed plans for an expansion of a controversial animal testing company in the town.

Labcorp Drug Development, which was previously called Covance and is based on Otley Road, has lodged plans to refurbish and expand its site after purchasing six vacant buildings.

The company bought the former Nidec SR Drives offices, known as East Park House, in December 2020 for £2.45 million, according to HM Land Registry documents.

Under plans submitted to the council, the firm would refurbish and extend the former Nidec offices.

A new entrance would be created, and the ground and first floors would be reconfigured. A one-way system to access the car park would also be built to reduce “traffic complications” on nearby Otley Road.

Read more:

Labcorp also intends to refurbish five other buildings on the site to create office space, create extensions for “new plant requirements” and create further car parking and cycle space.

In planning documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“The design, configuration, and palette of materials for the proposal have been well thought out and are of high quality. The refurbishment works to the property will greatly improve the appearance of the building, but more importantly also ensure the continued life of the building by occupying a currently unused unit.

“Carrying out the proposed work creates a usable building for the new required use and will ensure that the building is occupied and maintained and does not fall into disrepair, which would result in a negative impact on the surrounding area.”

The proposed visual of East Park House, as submitted by Labcorp.

How East Park House would look.

In response to a council consultation, Rebecca Micallef, the authority’s economic and transport officer, said the council’s economic development team was “fully supportive” of the proposal.

She said:

“This proposal will enable expansion of the business within its current location and promote the adaptation, refurbishment and reuse of a currently vacant commercial property. The proposed capital investment from a foreign company is particularly welcomed during this time of economic uncertainty caused by covid and Brexit.

“The proposed expansion and development will support Labcorp’s future within the Harrogate district and secure additional high level, high paid skilled jobs, directly supporting the aims of our economic growth strategy.”

Harrogate Borough Council planning officers will decide whether to accept the plan at a later date.

Last month, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, requested a meeting with George Freeman, science minister, to discuss Labcorp’s proposed UK expansion over the next five years.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jones told Mr Freeman that the company was “one of the largest employers in my constituency”.

The request was later criticised by animal rights charity PETA, which urged Mr Jones to “wake up to the advent of progressive, non-animal research”.

New paths at RHS Harlow Carr made with recycled plastic

RHS Garden Harlow Carr has replaced a series of paths with a new resin material made with recycled plastic.

The RHS garden in Harrogate, which receives 450,000 visitors a year, has re-used the equivalent of one and a half million plastic straws.

It is part of an ongoing maintenance programme after rain and snow damaged the site, particularly the paths.

RHS contracted resin specialists Oltco, which has headquarters in Cornwall but a base in Harrogate.

The resin paths are made of plastic that is already in circulation, such as straws, bottles and food packaging, sourced from plastic recycling.

Read more:

Paul Cook, curator at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, said:

“The new pathways have helped to transform the landscape and we’re excited for our visitors to experience this.”

The new look for the paths in the gardens.

Paul Cowham, director at Oltco Harrogate added:

“I have been regularly visiting the gardens for many years with my family so I was particularly proud to be able to work alongside Paul Cook and partner with Harlow Carr to transform its pathways.”

Air ambulance called to incident at Harrogate’s Hookstone Park

An air ambulance landed at Harrogate’s Hookstone Park this morning to treat a person who fell at an industrial unit.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance said in a statement:

“At 08.38am we dispatched our Nostell aircraft to a fall in Harrogate.

“Our critical care team provided on-scene support and the patient was taken to hospital by land ambulance.”

A Stray Ferret reader spotted the air ambulance in the Morrisons car park at around 9am this morning.

She said the crew went to join paramedics already on the scene at warehouses round the corner.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service said:

“We received a call at 8.26am this morning to reports of a person who had fallen from a roof in the Hookstone Park area of Harrogate.”

The extent of the patient’s injuries is not currently known.

Read more: