The former chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District has been sentenced after admitting assaulting a person outside a bar in the town centre.

Matthew Chapman, 41, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday (June 11) for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to one charge of causing actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Sarah Tyrer told the court the incident occurred at around 11pm on Friday, June 13 last year.

The named victim had been at work that day and decided to go out with colleagues. As he went straight from work, he took his laptop with him in a bag.

The court heard both the victim and Chapman, of Wilton Rise in York, were in Katie O’Brien’s, an Irish bar on The Ginnel, that night.

Ms Tyrer said the victim was dancing wearing his backpack – which contained his laptop – and Chapman and an unnamed female were “laughing at him” and “asking him if he was going hiking”.

The court heard that the victim asked Chapman what his problem was, but he moved away.

Ms Tyrer said that on the dancefloor the defendant then knocked into the victim’s bag.

She said:

The victim went outside with Chapman as he wanted to show him his laptop was inside the backpack, the court heard.

However, Ms Tyrer told the magistrates, door staff at the bar refused to let Chapman back in.

The victim was allowed to re-enter the bar and, as he did so, Chapman punched him, causing lacerations to his eyelid.

The victim said he “felt a shock" to his face and could not open his left eye following the punch.

The court heard that the victim “felt dizzy and had to lie down”. He was taken to hospital after the incident.

Ms Tyrer told the court that the victim was left with a cut above the eye and a bruised left eye which was swollen shut. He also complained of bad headaches, stiffness in his neck and that his face was tender to touch.

The prosecutor said the assault was “without any warning” and “appeared unprovoked”.

In a victim impact statement, which Ms Tyrer read aloud in court, the victim said he had been left with a “permanent scar” following the assault.

He added that he had become “more cautious” and felt “self-conscious” because of the scar.

He said:

Ms Tyrer said Chapman, who wore a black suit and black tie in court, was of previous good character and had no previous convictions.

‘Completely out of character’

Martin Townend, defending, told the court that the 41-year-old had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and should be given credit for doing so.

Mr Townend said the incident was “completely out of character” for Chapman, who had references to attest to his good character and had done charity work locally.

He added that, since the incident, Chapman had stopped drinking and going out. Chapman had “taken responsibility” for his actions, the court heard.

Mr Townend said:

Magistrates sentenced Chapman to an 18-month community order, which included five rehabilitation activity days and 250 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation to the victim, £85 in court costs and a £114 victims’ surcharge.

Chapman was appointed manager of Harrogate BID in 2021. He helped to secure another five-year term for the organisation in 2023, before being named chief executive in 2024.

He resigned with immediate effect on June 17 last year – four days after the offence – when the organisation issued a brief statement attributing the move to “personal reasons”.