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21
Nov
Man sentenced for spitting at police officer at Harrogate pub
The Stray Ferret spent the morning at Harrogate Magistrates Court today (November 21). We sat through a full morning of hearings, which included an assault of an emergency worker, a drunk and disorderly in a public place, and a drug possession case. You can read reports on three cases below.
A Harrogate man was sentenced for assaulting two police officers at the Claro Beagle.
Michael Faulkner, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place, and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker by beating.
All three offences happened at the pub just off Ripon Road on November 4.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, told the court two police officers were called to the pub just after 7pm.
She said the defendant had been in an altercation, but he had left the Claro Beagle by the time police arrived.
Faulkner’s family members told the police the incident was “verbal”, but that he had consumed “pills and alcohol”.
Ms Ibbotson said:
CCTV showed there had been an incident, but police then left the scene. 40 minutes later they were called back to the pub.
They were told the defendant had returned to the pub and was trying to go back in.
The court heard two named officers saw the defendant outside the pub, and described him as “very drunk and unpredictable”.
Ms Ibbotson said Faulkner was leaning against a wall when one officer, PC A, tried to put her leg between Faulkner’s to pull him away from the wall to detain him. He then “swung his legs” at PC A.
The officers then tried to guide him down some steps to detain him, but he stumbled and caused the second officer, PC B, to fall on the ground with him, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson said Faulkner then tried to grab PC B's hands and fingers.
She told the court:
PC B's hands were cut and bleeding from this.
The officers managed to get the handcuffs on him and arrested him.
PC A then took hold of Faulkner’s elbow and forearm, when the defendant swung his arm at her and spat in her face.
Shah Ahmed, defending, told the court Faulkner, of Oakdale Avenue, had been at his father’s wake that day.
After leaving to walk home, he received a call asking him to return to the Claro Pub as the police wanted to speak to him.
Mr Ahmed said Faulkner was confused about why police were detaining him, adding:
Mr Faulkner has a mobility problem, so the pills he took were his medication. The combination of pills, alcohol, emotions and stress led to his agitated state.
He does not accept he tried to kick the officer but he does accept there was contact. In terms of the spitting, he has false teeth, and his speech was slurred from drinking, which caused him to produce more saliva.
Faulkner told the court he is going to the dentist tomorrow to get new dentures, which should help with the saliva, and the spitting was “purely an accident”.
The magistrates ordered Faulkner to pay £300 in total. This comprises a £200 fine and £50 in compensation to each officer.
Man apologises for being drunk and disorderly at a Chinese takeaway
A man today pleaded guilty to one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
Ms Ibbotson told the court police were called to a Chinese takeaway on Camwal Terrace, in Starbeck, on October 31.
She said Martin Lewis, of no fixed address, was “causing a disturbance” at the takeaway.
The court heard Lewis, 31, was “heavily in drink” and police could hardly understand what he was saying. Ms Ibbotson added:
Police officers tried to usher him out of the takeaway but he refused to leave. He’d walk a few metres and then stop, which is when police arrested him at 10.30pm.
Lewis, who did not have any legal representation in court, said he wanted to “apologise for his actions”.
When the magistrates asked if he wanted to tell them anything about the incident or his personal circumstances, he said: "no, that’s it really".
The magistrates ordered Lewis to pay £141 to the court. This consists of a £40 fine, a £16 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
Man admits drug possession in Harrogate
Adil Ibrar, of Hyde Park in Leeds, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a controlled drug of B, namely cannabis.
Ms Ibbotson said police saw the defendant “acting suspiciously” in Harrogate on March 29, 2023.
Ibrar, 21, “pulled out a joint” after police stopped him. Officers then found 11 small bags of cannabis in his bag, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson told the court officers also found drug paraphernalia in his bag including cash, weighing scales and several mobile phones.
The contents of the phones were downloaded, but Ibrar was only charged with possession, she said.
The defence said Ibrar was “smoking a lot of cannabis” at the time of the offence. The court heard he was in employment at the time and could afford to buy cannabis.
He had bought the cannabis from a friend on the night of the incident, the court heard.
However, Ibrar has since had “very strict advice” from his family and significantly reduced the amount of cannabis he smokes. He is also now unemployed and cannot afford to pay for it.
The defence said Ibrar is of previous good character and asked the magistrates to consider handing him a conditional discharge. The court heard this would “hang over him” as a deterrent.
The magistrates handed Ibrar a nine-month conditional discharge. This means he would be prosecuted if he commits an offence during this period.
He was also ordered to pay £111 to the courts, which is made up of £85 in prosecution costs and a £26 surcharge. The drugs and drug paraphernalia will also be forfeited and destroyed.
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