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29
Sept
Theft, assault and driving bans: A morning at Harrogate Magistrates Court
Magistrates courts in England have the power to jail people for up to six months, hand down unlimited fines and ban people from driving. The courts sit five days a week and deal with multiple cases each day. But what actually goes on inside a magistrates courtroom? We spent a morning at the Harrogate Justice Centre, where the court is based, to find out.
It’s a 9.45am on a wet Thursday morning as I await to be called into courtroom one.
Rain begins to hit the large glass windows to the front of Harrogate Magistrates Court looking out onto Victoria Avenue as defendants and court staff alike attempt to rush through security and quickly upstairs.
Known as Harrogate Justice Centre from its signage, the building consists of two floors and hears cases ranging from criminal to civil and family matters. Anyone can attend, as part of the open justice principle.
On this occasion, we’re waiting for the morning criminal hearings on the first floor. The agenda spans seven cases in the morning and two in the afternoon — unusually light for a magistrates list.
I’m called into the room by the usher wearing a black gown and directed to sit in the public gallery, which is two rows of green padded seats at the back of the courtroom.
About five feet in front of me are four rows of desks reserved for the prosecution, defence and probation service. The Crown Prosecution Service representative sits at the front to the right preparing for proceedings to start.
Harrogate Magistrates Court pictured during a magistrates open day. Credit: Matt Watson-Power/Flickr.
The court consists of a blue carpet with white, nondescript coloured walls and wood panelling at the back which is complemented by the royal coat of arms.
On the left hand side sits the glass covered dock, which is normally used for trials or to take criminals down when they’re handed a prison sentence. To the side of the dock, tucked away on a white trolley, is a screen which is used for vulnerable witnesses — though this was not required today.
The Stray Ferret frequents the room to report on criminal cases on a regular basis. On this occasion though, it was for a full morning of multiple hearings.
‘Both of us were homeless’
Following me closely into court is this morning’s first case.
Cole Richardson, 19, of no fixed address, appears before the court wearing a black jacket, tracksuit trousers and trainers.
He is charged with four counts of theft from Sainsbury’s on Cold Bath Road on multiple dates in May, April and June this year.
Richardson turns down the option to see a duty solicitor and opts to offer his own mitigation after pleading guilty to all charges.
After prosecutor Mel Ibbertson outlines the facts of the case, the 19-year-old tells the court that he was living in a homeless hostel at the time.
He says he has multiple addictions and had been trying to get food for himself and his girlfriend.
Richardson told the court:
Both of us were homeless. She was suffering from similar addictions to me. It was pretty much left to me to feed the pair of us. Since then, she has gone her own way.
He told the court that he claimed universal credit and personal independence payments. The court heard that he was already paying a fine for a previous conviction of criminal damage.
Magistrates told Richardson that they had considered his “limited means” and ordered him to pay a fine of £89.50.
All walks of life
The morning saw cases involving people of all walks of life.
Through the door next to me came the next defendant.
Mellissa Mitchell, 24, of Stockwell Avenue, is charged with assault on September 9 this year.
Mitchell spoke only to confirm her name and address. She pleads guilty to the charge.
Ms Ibbertson told the court that the incident appeared to have started over an argument about a cat.
She said:
On the date in question, there appears to have been some disagreement that escalated into an argument about a cat.
The prosecution said the victim had told Mitchell not to feed her cat tuna and an argument started.
Harrogate Magistrates Court, Victoria Avenue.
Miss Ibbertson told the court that the defendant then proceeded to “hit her and pushed her over”. The pair then began to hit each other before Mitchell hit the victim’s head off the grass.
The victim then began to bite the defendant before she started to have an asthma attack and the police arrived, the court heard.
Mitchell’s defence told the court that the complainant in the case was “quite aggressive towards her”. However, they added that the defendant acted in self-defence and admitted that they “went too far”.
Magistrates adjourned the case until October 24 for probation to carry out a pre-sentence report.
Heard in absence
After two hearings, there is a lull in proceedings while court staff debate about whether to hear a case in absence of a defendant.
The man in question, Christopher Penny, 44, of no fixed address, has had a panic attack and is downstairs with security, his solicitor tells the open court.
Penny is charged with criminal damage on Mount Parade and theft, namely stealing a pair of trainers valued at £39.99 from TX Maxx in the Victoria Shopping Centre.
Magistrates suggest hearing the case in his absence, which the defendant agrees to.
He admits both charges and is fined £281.98.
Some cases in court are handled by the duty solicitor. These are often defendants who do not have the resources to hire their own counsel.
Martin Townend is on shift to handle those cases on Thursday morning.
Banned driver
One particular case Mr Townend is asked to deal with is Russell Mannix, 51, who has come to court from Milton Keynes.
Mannix, who clutches his jacket the entire way through proceedings, was caught on the A1(M) at Wetherby driving a Mercedes Sprinter while disqualified.
Officers initially stopped the 51-year-old to assertain whether the car was safe to drive. After speaking to police when pulled over, Mannix then admitted he was actually banned.
Mr Townend told the court that Mannix was already serving a community order for his previous offence which was implemented in July 2023.
The court scrapped the order and replaced it with more stringent requirements, including 200 hours unpaid work and a 22 month driving ban. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £199.
The final case before magistrates is Nigel Stanmore, 59, of Stainmore Grove, who is before magistrates for failing to provide a breath sample to police on September 11 this year.
Stanmore, an ex-soldier who served in Afghanistan, took advice from the duty solicitor and defends himself. He pleads guilty to the charge.
Dressed in a navy blue suit with a white shirt, he tells magistrates that he accepts he made a mistake and that he was on medication for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Magistrates banned him from driving for 17 months, but offered him a drink driving rehabilitation scheme which if completed would reduce his ban by 17 weeks.
After three hours, multiple cases and sentences ranging from fines to disqualifications, the court breaks for lunch.
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