Harrogate man, 31, found dead in armchair, inquest hearsEx-solicitor died of hypothermia in Harrogate cabman’s shelter, inquest hears

A former Harrogate solicitor died of hypothermia in a cabman’s shelter on the Stray, an inquest has heard.

Richard Wade-Smith, 67, was found “unresponsive” in the distinctive green shelter on West Park, opposite Hotel Du Vin, at 7.15am on September 15.

Besides hypothermia, Mr Wade-Smith’s cause of death was also attributed to alcohol dependency, bipolar affective disorder, hypertensive heart disease and coronary artherosclerosis, the opening inquest in Northallerton heard yesterday.

He worked for a number of Yorkshire law firms and ran his own legal service from Wedderburn House. But his life descended into a downward spiral after a string of criminal convictions.

He was subject to a restraining order after ramming his car into his wife’s Harrogate home and subjecting her to “mental torture” on Boxing Day 2021.

He was later jailed for 10 months for breaching the order and was jailed again in June this year for indecent exposure on Stockwell Lane in Knaresborough.

The inquest was adjourned to a full hearing at a later date.

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Inquest opens into death of Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert

An inquest opened today into the death of Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert, who went missing for five days in June.

Ms Lambert, 22, left her home in Starbeck on June 16. Hundreds of people took part in searches to find her.

North Yorkshire Police also launched a missing person search, which included helicopters, drones and dogs and was supported by mountain and underwater rescue teams.

Her body was found in the River Nidd near Lands Lane, Knaresborough, by a member of the public five days later.

Catherine Cundy, area coroner for North Yorkshire, opened an inquest into Ms Lambert’s death at a hearing in Northallerton this morning.

She confirmed Ms Lambert was certified dead on June 21, 2023.

Ms Cundy added that a provisional cause of death of “drowning by immersion in fresh water” has been reported.

The hearing was adjourned to a date to be confirmed when a full inquest will take place.

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Family ‘deprived of answers’ into Harrogate boy’s homeless hostel death

The family of a 16-year-old Harrogate schoolboy who died in a homeless hostel say they have been “deprived of answers” after an inquest into his death concluded.

Benjamin Nelson-Roux, a former student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died in Harrogate on April 8, 2020.

He was found dead at a Harrogate Borough Council-run homeless hostel on Robert Street where he had been living since February that year.

A coroner concluded yesterday that the 16-year-old’s death was “unascertained”. A full post-mortem was not carried out due to the covid pandemic.

In a statement outside the coroner’s office in Northallerton, Kate Roux, Ben’s mother, said it had deprived the family of answers.

She said:

“We will never know the medical cause of Ben’s death, because no invasive post-mortem was carried out.

“The coroner’s service has deprived us of the opportunity for answers.

“We do know that he lived in fear, pain and self-loathing for the last year of his life. Although we begged for help, no meaningful support or even basic safeguarding was put in place.

“We know that this is still happening to children and families in the UK and at the time of giving evidence no significant changes have been made to practices or provision by the agencies involved.”

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Ben was placed in the hostel on Robert Street in February 2020 until alternative accommodation was found.

However, the inquest heard concerns from social workers and other agencies that the hostel was not suitable for him due to him being at risk of exploitation.

Following his conclusion at a hearing in Northallerton, Jon Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, issued a prevention of future deaths report.

Mr Heath said he would to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to raise concern over the lack of under-18s facilities for drug misuse.

He also intended to write to North Yorkshire County Council to raise concern over why alternative accommodation was not sought outside of the county.

In response to the outcome of the inquest, Stuart Parsons, the county council’s corporate director of children and young people’s services, said:

“Our heartfelt sympathies remain with Ben’s family, and his loss has been extremely distressing for everyone involved in this tragic case.

“Ben received coordinated support involving children’s services, police, housing, a youth justice drug and substance misuse worker, and health and mental health professionals, involving a psychologist and a professor in forensic psychiatry.  

“Ben received support with his drug use prior to and during his time in the hostel. The coroner noted that social workers highlighted drugs misuse support as a priority need for Ben and that he developed a strong, open relationship with the substance misuse officer. 

“The coroner found that the accommodation did not contribute to Ben’s death. It was recognised that the hostel was a temporary last resort after a county wide search failed to find anything more suitable. By that point, Covid restrictions meant that the potential for other accommodation was removed. Alternative accommodation had been provided to Ben, but this was not successful. 

“Ben was never in the care of North Yorkshire County Council. The coroner found that his social worker correctly decided through regular contact with Ben that he had capacity and at 16 years old was able to refuse to come into local authority care. The coroner concluded that the county council was not avoiding him being in their care and, in fact, would have welcomed it.

“Social workers had involved the correct parties in supporting Ben, all of whom voluntarily attended meetings along with Ben’s parents. His social worker was seeing Ben much more often than would have been the case under statutory child protection and many other agencies were involved.

“The social worker’s aim was to try to restore relationships so that Ben could return home, as it was accepted this was the best place for him to be. 

“In this type of inquest, the court can reflect on instances where there may have been missed opportunities to act that may have prevented a death. The coroner did not find that any instances in this case on the part of any of the agencies involved.

“The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership undertook a ‘learning review’ and recommendations were made to services, considering the views of Ben’s family. 

“Once received, we will respond to the coroner’s report in accordance with Regulations 29.”

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy, environment and housing, said: 

“Although only knowing and working with Ben Nelson-Roux for a short time, we were deeply saddened by his untimely death and would once again like to offer our most sincere condolences to his family.

“Hostel accommodation was provided to Ben as a last resort to prevent him from street homelessness. During this time Ben received extensive support from multiple agencies.

“In his conclusion, the coroner found that, on the balance of probabilities, it could not be concluded that the accommodation had contributed to Ben’s death. This was only intended to be a short term, interim placement whilst a room in specialist young person supported accommodation became available. Unfortunately, this was subject to delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

“In the next few days, we expect to receive a report from the coroner which we will carefully consider and respond to.”

Smoke inhalation killed woman in Harrogate house fire, inquest hears

A woman who lost her life in a Harrogate house fire died because of carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation, an inquest has heard.

Jayne Addyman, 54, died on January 7 last year at her home on Craven Street, which is close to King’s Road.

The inquest also heard alcohol intoxication was found to be a significant factor contributing to her death.

John Broadbridge, assistant coroner for North Yorkshire and York, concluded Ms Addyman died because of an accident.

The inquest was held on January 20 in Northallerton and Mr Broadbridge confirmed the details today to the Stray Ferret.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to Craven Street at 6.20am on Friday, January 7 last year.

Paramedics performed CPR but Ms Addyman was certified dead at the scene.

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Ripon teacher died after accidental fall in Italian Dolomites, coroner rules

A Ripon teacher died after an accidental fall in the Italian Dolomites, a coroner has ruled.

Louise Atkinson, 55, of North Stainley, was trekking with her partner in the Tires Valley, Bolzano, in northern Italy, when she fell to her death on July 24 this year.

An inquest today heard that Ms Atkinson and John Dickinson, who had both been to the area four years prior, were heading on a more difficult route after their original path had changed due to a new restaurant development.

In a statement given to the court, which was read by coroner Catherine Cundy, Mr Dickinson said the pair took a different path “hoping to find a route we were familiar with”.

He said:

“It became difficult and we stopped and decided to return to the cafe.”

The inquest heard Ms Atkinson was about 20 feet behind Mr Dickinson.

After deciding to turn back, Mr Dickinson then heard her lose her step and slip off the cliff.

He said:

“I turned around and called her name. I could not reach her and she slipped off the cliff edge.”

The inquest heard Ms Atkinson rolled about 35 metres down the mountain. 

Two young walkers alerted the Italian emergency services and a mountain rescue helicopter was called out to the scene.

The commander of the mountain service said in a statement to the coroner that “serious injuries to her body” led to Ms Atkinson’s death.

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He added Mr Dickinson had “tried in vain” to save her following the fall.

A post-mortem carried out by Elzer Tjio, of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, concluded the cause of death was a traumatic brain injury.

Ms Cundy concluded that Ms Atkinson’s death was an accident likely to have been caused by her losing her footing on the route.

She said:

“I am satisfied that on balance it is more likely than not that she fell in the circumstances that I have described.”

‘An amazing teacher’

Following her death, tributes were paid to Ms Atkinson, who was a teacher at Roecliffe Church of England School near Boroughbridge and St Wilfrid’s Catholic School in Ripon.

One person posted:

“Heartbreaking news. This is so sad. She taught both our sons at Roecliffe. She was an amazing teacher and a lovely kind lady. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and pupils.”

Another said:

“Such sad news. My son loved her as a teacher and came home every Friday full of stories of what she taught him that day. Condolences to all her family and friends. RIP.”

Solicitor Lynda Greenwood died of smoke inhalation, inquest hears

An inquest into the death of prominent local solicitor Lynda Greenwood heard today that she died of smoke inhalation when her house caught fire.

Ms Greenwood, who founded Greenwoods Solicitors in Knaresborough in 1991, died on April 2 at her home in Brearton. She was 67.

Her home was severely damaged in the blaze, which occurred at about 10pm on a Saturday night.

Assistant coroner Jonathan Leach gave the cause of death at today’s brief opening inquest in Northallerton. He said she was divorced her maiden name was Nattress.

Me Leach added:

“She was at home on April 2 when a fire broke out, as a result of which she died at the scene.”

The inquest was adjourned until a later date.

Ms Greenwood was born in South Shields but grew up in Knaresborough where she attended King James’s School before completing a law degree at Kingston University and becoming a partner in a Surrey law firm.

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After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town.

A statement on the company’s website says:

“On Saturday 2 April 2022 our colleague, our friend, our Lynda, was taken from us in the most tragic of circumstances.

“Lynda touched the hearts of everyone who met her and we have been overwhelmed by the number of kind messages we have received.”

 

 

 

 

‘No suspicious circumstances’ surrounding Brearton house fire, say fire service

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue say there are “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding the cause of a house fire in Brearton which left one woman dead.

Lynda Greenwood, 67, was identified locally as the victim of the fire, which gutted the village home late on the evening of Saturday, April 2.

The fire service and North Yorkshire Police launched a joint investigation following the fire.

Emergency services from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon were called to the scene at around 10pm but, despite their best efforts, Ms Greenwood was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said that the service cannot confirm the cause of the fire until a report has been accepted by the coroner.

They said:

“While there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire, we cannot confirm the cause until the report has been accepted by the coroner – which may take several months.”

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Ms Greenwood grew up in Knaresborough, attending King James’s School while it was still a grammar school in the 1960s. She went on to complete a law degree at Kingston University and practised in Surrey, where she became partner in a law firm.

After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town. She specialised in commercial property, lasting powers of attorney, wills and probate.

Death of Harrogate man, 45, was due to drugs, inquest hears

The death of a 45-year-old man at a Harrogate hostel was due to “multi-drug toxicity”, an inquest heard today.

The inquest into the death of Stephen Paul Cattanach on October 26, 2020 was heard at Northallerton Coroners Court this afternoon.

At the time of his death, Mr Cattanach was living in temporary accommodation provided by Harrogate Borough Council at Cavendish House on Robert Street.

The inquest heard the 45-year-old was found in his room by a member of staff on the afternoon of October 26.

Dr Joy Shacklock, of the Spa Surgery in Harrogate, told the inquest Mr Cattanach had a “complex history of drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues”.

Dr Shacklock added her patient had suffered a number of overdoses, most recently twice in July 2020. She said Mr Cattanach insisted neither was intentional.

A toxicology report performed after his death, found high levels of drugs, including morphine and heroin, in his blood.

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He had previously been helped by North Yorkshire Horizons, an adult drug and alcohol recovery service. Mr Cattanach reached out for support from Horizons five days before his death and had a follow-up appointment booked for October 27, the day after he died.

Coroner Jon Heath agreed with the post-mortem assessment and concluded that his death was drug related. He said:

“I am satisfied that the cause of death was multi-drug toxicity, this alongside the police evidence which found no suspicious circumstances or suicidal indications suggests he did not intend to take his own life.

“I am able to conclude that on the balance of probability his death was drug related.”

‘Cold and insincere’ letter from Harrogate hospital led to suicide, inquest hears

A Harrogate man has told an inquest a “cold and insincere” letter from Harrogate District Hospital led to his wife to take her own life days later.

Sarah Jane Louise Tatlow, 57, died on March 26 last year at the home she shared with her husband and two sons in Harrogate.

She had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of cervical cancer.

Julian Tatlow told today’s opening day of the inquest in Northallerton that his wife was not fully aware of her “poor prognosis” until she received a letter from one of her doctors at Harrogate District Hospital days before her death.

The letter was sent following an in-person consultation with Ms Tatlow and her husband on March 17.

Ms Tatlow, who was a director of management training and development consultancy Kronos Learning, did not share the letter with her husband, who found it in the days after her death.

He described the letter as “cold and insincere” and said it contained details not made clear to them during the consultation.

He said the use of words such as “slurry” to describe the kind of faecal matter that would have ended up in his wife’s stoma bag, and the shock of her “poor prognosis” would have made his wife question “what is the point?”.

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Mr Tatlow told the inquest in Northallerton:

“I believe if she didn’t receive a copy of this letter, I may still have a wife and my sons a mother.”

The consultant who sent it responded to say:

“The extent of her cancer was confirmed on 10th March after numerous scans. I believe Sarah had come to the conclusion [of the severity of her cancer] following numerous consultations with myself and colleagues.”

Cancer diagnosis

The inquest heard that Ms Tatlow suffered frequent urinary tract infections in late 2020. A routine cervical screening in January 2021 then diagnosed cancer.

Dr Allison Amin, a consultant gynaecologist at Harrogate District Hospital, said she knew instantly it was an aggressive form of cancer that had spread to her pelvic area.

But Mr Tatlow said in an opening statement, which was read out at the inquest, that neither he nor his wife was aware of her “poor prognosis”. He said all the consultations had suggested that operations could “give her a better quality of life”.

Mr Tatlow asked each doctor if they had made it clear to his wife how aggressive her cancer was. Each doctor said they were unable to confirm their exact words but were sure Ms Tatlow knew her cancer was aggressive.

Mr Tatlow said to one of the doctors “my recollection is entirely different”.

He also asked why none had referred his wife to her GP for depression during a time in which, he said, she was clearly struggling.

At the time of her death, Mrs Tatlow was waiting for two surgeries that were due to take place early in April.

The inquest, led by coroner Oliver Longstaff, is due to conclude tomorrow.