Arrest warrant for former Coach and Horses landlord

A court in Harrogate has issued an arrest warrant for the former landlord of the Coach and Horses pub.

John Nelson, who held the pub’s licence for 33 years until last summer, was due for a hearing at the Harrogate Justice Centre today.

Police arrested Mr Nelson on October 30, the day after the council gave his daughter the licence, on Leeds Road and tested him for drugs.

The test found that he had 30 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood in his system. Officers also found three bottles of methadone in his car.

As a result, officers charged him with drug driving and with possession of a class A drug.

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Mr Nelson, 65, was due to enter a plea at court today but failed to show. So the court has now put out a warrant for his arrest.

If he does not hand himself in at a police station then officers will attempt to find and arrest him.

He lost his licence after North Yorkshire Police found customers drinking outside the Coach and Horses and not observing social distancing over the weekend of May 30.

Customers of the pub launched a petition to grant the licence to his daughter Samantha Nelson, which the council did in October last year.

She said she would refurbish and reopen but there has been no movement at the pub ever since. The Stray Ferret has made several enquiries but has received no reply.

Police officer guilty of dangerous driving over Harrogate crash

A police officer who drove through a red light in Harrogate at 50 miles per hour and then crashed into a car carrying two elderly women has been found guilty of dangerous driving.

DC Quita Passmore, 38, was driving an undercover police vehicle when she went through the red light at the junction of Otley Road and Cold Bath Road.

She was responding to reports of an officer in distress at 10pm on May 5, 2018 when the incident occurred.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Patricia Bulmer and Janet Roberton sustained severe injuries, including broken bones and a punctured lung.

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The jury of 12 people retired for deliberations at about 1pm today and returned with a guilty verdict on two counts of dangerous driving at about 4.30pm.

DC Passmore, who pleaded not guilty, said in a statement that was read out during the trial:

“I was aware that I needed to give way for the red light. But I thought it was unlikely that anything would emerge as my colleague had passed through seconds before.

“As I went through the junction a red car emerged. My evasive action was not enough to avoid the collision.

“I am glad to hear that the two other people involved are making a recovery. I am very sorry this happened, it was never my intention.”

Patricia Bulmer, who was driving the vehicle that was hit, told police in hospital:

“We had spent the day at a friend’s house and left around 10pm. I had driven up Cold Bath Road and turned onto the junction with Otley Road.

“Then there was an almighty smash and bang. The airbag flew into me. My friend was then making moaning noises at the side of me.”

Janet Roberton, who was a passenger, told police:

“I heard a loud siren-type noise and saw lights to the right of the car. I just remember one of us shouting ‘oh my god, oh my god’.

“Then there was a loud bang, it was the most awful noise I have ever heard. My first thought was the we were going to die, it felt terrible.”

Judge Burn adjourned the court until tomorrow morning, when he will sentence DC Passmore for dangerous driving.

Ripon businessman jailed for 80mph police chase in Knaresborough

A Ripon businessman led police on a cat-and-mouse road chase in which he shot through red lights and bombed through built-up areas at more than twice the speed limit on an uninsured Kawasaki motorbike.

Craig Hindson, 34, rode like a “lunatic” as he clocked up speeds of more than 80mph through Knaresborough and put at least one cyclist’s life in danger, York Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for six months and given a 15-month driving ban.

During the death-defying chase, the father-of-two taunted the pursuing officer by slowing down and “waving with his hand, indicating to pull over” – only to drop down the gears and speed off again, said prosecutor Dan Cordey.

At one stage, Hindson appeared to give himself up after pulling into a layby and stopping the bike. Police pulled in and an officer got out – only for Hindson to speed off again.

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The chase began on the A59 at the junction of York Road and Wetherby Road on 20 March.

Hindson began revving his engine aggressively in a line of traffic at temporary traffic lights at roadworks, drawing stares from people waiting at a bus stop.

Suddenly, Hindson “accelerated sharply, straight through a red light at high speed towards the Goldsborough roundabout”, added Mr Cordey.

80mph in 30mph zone

Among the queue of traffic was a marked police car, which gave chase but despite the wailing of sirens and flashing blue lights, Hindson sped up to “at least” 80mph on a 30mph stretch of road.

He shot through another set of lights, hotly pursued by police, just as two cyclists – a man and a woman – were crossing the junction.

The female cyclist had to stop in her tracks to avoid a potential collision. The scenes were witnessed by startled pedestrians walking along the pavement.

Hindson, wearing shorts, kept looking over his shoulder at the police car as he tore through Goldsborough.

“At times, he would slow down (and) wave with his hand, indicating to pull over, (then) drop gear before accelerating quickly away,” said Mr Cordey.

Ignored police

A short time later, Hindson appeared to give himself up when he pulled into a layby and came to a stop. The police car pulled up beside him, an officer got out and walked up to Hindson.

“He shouted at (Hindson) to remove his helmet and switch the machine off,” added Mr Cordey.

“The defendant nodded, but then very quickly accelerated away…onto the A59, towards the A1.”

The police vehicle managed to prevent Hindson pulling onto the A1 and instead the Kawasaki was forced into a dead-end, where it came to a halt. Hindson was duly arrested.

The officer found false registration plates on the Kawasaki, which Hindson said he had obtained from a “local lad”. The exact provenance of the motorbike remains unclear.

Hindson, of Princess Close, Ripon, was charged with dangerous driving, handling a stolen Kawasaki ZX and using a vehicle without insurance or a licence.

The tweed-jacketed businessman appeared in court on Tuesday when he admitted all three driving matters but denied handling stolen goods. His pleas were accepted by the prosecution and the handling charge was allowed to lie on file.

‘Foolish and out of character’

Defence barrister Holly Clegg said Hindson’s actions were “foolish”, albeit out of character.

He had been going through a “difficult time” after being kicked out of the family home and separating from his partner.

She said Hindson had been offered a go on the bike by a “lad he had seen around the local area” and “foolishly” the businessman took up the offer because he thought the motorbike was “cool”.

Hindson, who wore a crisp blue shirt and gold-coloured tie, ran a successful groundworks and Tarmacking company, which employed eight people.

References from business contacts described him as a hard-working, “reputable businessman” who was a devoted father and “very honourable individual”.

Judge Sean Morris told him he had ridden “like a lunatic” and could easily have killed someone, particularly the female cyclist who was in danger of being struck by the police car due to Hindson’s actions. This was no fault of the pursuing officer.