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13
Dec 2024
‘Please stay away from shops’, magistrate tells Harrogate thief
The Stray Ferret spent the morning at Harrogate Magistrates Court today (December 13).
We sat through a full morning of hearings, which included cases of theft and driving whilst disqualified.
You can read reports on three cases below.
Charlotte Hill, of Bramham Drive, was charged with three counts of theft from a shop.
Hill pleaded guilty to one of the counts, plus one count of failing to surrender to police/court bail at the appointed time, on November 15.
Hill admitted the two other thefts on December 5 and appeared for sentencing today.
She did not have legal representation in court.
Mr McRae, prosecuting, told the court Hill entered a One Stop on Knaresborough Road on September 15. She stole two bottles of white wine to the value of £17.50, which was captured on CCTV.
The court heard the 41-year-old defendant admitted the offence to the police.
Hill was due before the court for the offence on November 14 but failed to turn up that day.
On October 29, Hill stole three cans of Jack Daniels and coke from Tesco on Cambridge Road. The drinks were to the value of £7.50.
The defendant then stole two bottles of white wine from Waitrose in Harrogate, which were valued at £21.98, on November 6.
Hill’s case was previously adjourned so a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the probation service.
A probation officer today told the court Hill admitted to “drinking quite excessively” on a daily basis. She also suffers with anxiety, he added.
The magistrates handed Hill a 12-month community order, which requires her to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity days.
She must also pay £46.98 in compensation to the affected companies.
The lead magistrate told Hill to “please stay away from shops”.
Man admits driving whilst disqualified in Ripon
A man has been sentenced for driving whilst disqualified in Ripon.
Lee Sherburne, who lives on Bower Street in Harrogate, admitted the charge today.
Mr McRae, prosecuting, told the court Sherburne was filmed driving a car on Priest Lane in Ripon on May 23.
The defendant had been disqualified from driving for two years in March.
He said Sherburne, 36, drove for around ten minutes to buy alcohol from a shop.
Brian Nuttney, defending, told the court Sherburne expressed remorse for his actions.
The defendant drove the short distance to the shop as he was not able to walk due to a knee injury, the defence said.
Mr Nuttney said Sherburne went through a “big trauma” during his childhood and has poor mental health.
The defendant told the court he has never received counselling for the traumatic incident.
The case was adjourned whilst a pre-sentence report is prepared. Sherburne will next appear at Harrogate Magistrates Court on January 17.
Harrogate man admits Co-op thefts
Dale Lister was today sentenced for three offences.
His address was listed as Fairfax Avenue in Harrogate, but he later told the court he is currently “sofa surfing”.
Lister pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from a shop, as well as one count of failing to surrender to police/court bail at the appointed time, on November 9.
Mr McRae, prosecuting, told the court Lister entered a Co-op store in Pannal on August 29. He stole £2.50 worth of Red Bull.
The court heard the 30-year-old defendant returned to the shop on September 3. Mr McRae said Lister stole seven packs of bacon, a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of white wine.
The goods, which were valued at £65.50, were not recovered.
The court heard Lister was sentenced to four weeks in prison in July. A probation officer said he has barely engaged with the service since.
Defence solicitor Brian Nuttney said Lister "went into prison a drug addict and came out of prison a drug addict".
But Mr Nuttney told the court the shared accommodation provided to Lister after he was released from custody on licence was “very different” to his home prior.
He said Lister was “exploited” by some of the people in the shared accommodation, adding:
He was put at risk.
Mr Lister tried to pull away from these people, but he was scared and things came to a head.
Today, he has two black eyes, a fractured skull and an injury to his eye socket. This is from the beating he got for trying to pull away from these people.
Mr Nuttney told the court Lister is in a much better place now. He is trying to “get off the drugs” and engage with the probation service.
Lister was handed a 12-month community order, which requires him to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He was also ordered to pay £68 in compensation to the Co-op.
“The money needs to be paid back as this was your fault, not theirs”, the lead magistrate told Lister.
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