A Knaresborough business owner has pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

Jaime Wilkinson, who lives in Scotton, also admitted obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty when he appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday (August 15).

Both incidents happened on the Ginnel, in Harrogate, on July 27.

Wilkinson owns the bar and restaurant 1858 on Knaresborough High Street, which opened in the former NatWest bank last year. 

The court heard prosecution and defence legal representatives watched bodycam footage of the incident.

Prosecutor Mel Ibbotson said Wilkinson was told he would be “put in handcuffs” by police officers but “did not comply”. However, he did not resist for long and was eventually arrested, she added. 

Ms Ibbotson told the court there did not appear to be a "great deal of force" used during the incident, adding the footage did not suggest there were any “further aggravated features” at the time. 

Ms Ibbotson also said Wilkinson had “not been in trouble with the courts since 2005”.

‘Drunken rationalisation’

Defending solicitor Rob Rode told the court “drunken rationalisation is how I would describe this”, adding Wilkinson had been “assaulted” inside a nightclub prior to the incident.

He also said Wilkinson is “still suffering” from injuries sustained at the time of his arrest, but added the defendant was "remorseful" and “hugely embarrassed” by his actions.

But the magistrates felt Wilkinson had stayed out of trouble for a “considerable period of time”, and they hoped the offences were just “a blip”.

The magistrates took this into account when deciding Wilkinson's sentence and handed him a nine-month conditional discharge.

This means if he re-offends within the timeframe, the offences would be brought back to court.

Wilkinson was also ordered to pay a total of £111 in court courts, which included £85 in prosecution costs and a £26 surcharge.