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07
Feb
Couple admit biting and kicking police officers in Harrogate assault
A couple have admitted to each assaulting a police officer during an altercation in Harrogate.
Benjamin Rycroft, 51, and Heather Rycroft, 39, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (February 5) when they each pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting an emergency worker by beating.
Antony Farrell, prosecuting, told the court two named police officers – PC L and PC G – were called to a report of an assault in the West Park/Cambridge Road area of Harrogate at around 10pm on January 10 this year.
When the officers arrived, both suspects – the Rycrofts – were arrested.
As Ben was being arrested, he told officers: “I’m not under arrest”.
He was then taken to the ground and bit PC L’s left thigh.
Meanwhile, the court heard, Heather told PC G she did "not care…f*** ***”, before kicking the officer in the leg.
She later admitted this during a police interview, when she said was "disgusted in herself".
Heather is of previous good character, while her husband has one previous conviction from the last century.
Defendants 'do not take this lightly'
Andrew Tinning, defending, told the court the couple travelled up to Harrogate from Nottingham for a family event that weekend.
Ben’s father, who lived in Harrogate, died suddenly last year. It was due to be his birthday on January 12, and his step-mother’s birthday is on January 10.
To mark both birthdays, the family went for a meal at the West Park Hotel on the day of the offence.
Mr Tinning said the couple, of Hemlock Road in the Edwalton area of Nottingham, had “far too much to drink” and "had been quite emotional” that day.
He added:
For whatever reason, when they walked to go back to their hotel, they had a falling out. They also had their dogs with them at the time. It’s very strange and they can’t explain why things happened the way they did.
The court heard a passerby noticed the couple arguing and called police to report it.
When officers arrived, the situation “went very wrong from there”, Mr Tinning said.
He told the court he suspected there was “a bit of blame on both sides” but the couple were “shocked at how the police reacted” – so much so that Ben began recording the police on his phone.
Mr Tinning said:
They were told they would be arrested as the passerby said there had been a ‘push or a pull’ between them.
Mr Rycroft said he couldn’t move his arm when he was told to [by police] and then bit the officer’s leg.
Mrs Rycroft said she was grabbed by police from behind when the officer was trying to get her bag off her. She then kicks back and catches the officer.
The court heard both defendants have good jobs: Heather, who was visibly upset in court, works for the NHS and Ben works in the motor trade.
Mr Tinning said the couple “do not take this lightly” but added they remember little of the incident.
The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
The Rycrofts will be sentenced at York Magistrates Court on March 3.
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