A Harrogate police officer pleaded not guilty in court today after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman.
Joseph McCabe, 27, of Starbeck, is currently suspended from duty as a North Yorkshire Police officer based in Harrogate.
The officer appeared before York Magistrates Court this morning charged with sexual assault by touching. The case concerns an alleged incident at a North Yorkshire property last summer.
Prosecutor Charlotte Dangerfield said Mr McCabe, was allegedly “trying to stroke” the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
It was also alleged that he was pulling at her hair, added Ms Dangerfield. She alleged that Mr McCabe was trying to have sex with the woman who was unwilling.
The defendant’s solicitor, Mr Hague, claimed the incident was “not sexual in nature” and added:
“He [Mr McCabe] thought there was going to be sexual interaction (but) she rejected it and he respected that”.
The magistrate questioned Mr Hague about the relationship between the defendant and the woman. Mr Hague responded and said:
“It had been a friendship for sometime with regular friendly communication, just a typical workplace relationship.”
Mr McCabe is set to appear before York Magistrates Court again on October 11 and has been released on unconditional bail.
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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic roundup
Traffic is moving steadily in the Harrogate district this morning.
However, roadworks are still in place in some areas which may cause delays.
Here is your Stray Ferret morning traffic roundup.
Roads
Traffic is moving steadily in Harrogate this morning, although that is expected to build up during the morning rush hour.
Roadworks are still in place in Knaresborough at the junction between Wetherby Road and York Road which will cause delays this morning.
The busy junction just past King James’ School and the cemetery has been undergoing resurfacing works for a few weeks and continues to cause delays during rush hour.
The works are expected to continue until August 15.
Trains and buses
No delays or cancellations to report on the trains from Harrogate to Leeds and York this morning.
Harrogate Bus Company still has a diversion in place on its 21 service meaning it is unable to reach Ashbourne Road due to a road closure.
The nearest alternative stop is Morrisons in Boroughbridge. This diversion will be in place until June 30.
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Council criticised for leaving ‘scorched earth’ rings around Stray trees
Harrogate Borough Council has been criticised for spraying weed-killing chemicals around trees on the Stray leaving ‘scorched earth’ rings around them.
From UCI cycling to litter and rewilding, no topic exercises Harrogatonians quite like the Stray.
The latest debate involves the council’s approach to managing weeds on the 200-acre parkland which has troubled environmentalists and led to criticism on social media.
The council recently sprayed glyphosate around the base of almost every tree, bin and bench. It’s the most widely used pesticide in history but its use is controversial.
Exposure to glyphosate has been linked to poor health and several UK councils have pledged to stop or limit its use due to its negative impact on the environment.
Shan Oakes, Harrogate & District Green Party co-ordinator, criticised HBC for using the pesticide and said “we have to stop poisoning the planet”.
“It looks horrible. It doesn’t look good, so why do you need to tidy up vegetation around trees? Greenery looks better than scorched earth.
“We need plants wherever we can put them, nature doesn’t know about so-called weeds.
“We need to stop removing every little weed and so on, we have to think about bees and all the rest of the wildlife. We depend on nature.”
Rewilding row
This year, the council’s parks team has again left grass verges close to the roadside on West Park Stray uncut until late autumn to improve biodiversity.
But at least one tree has been sprayed with glyphosate in the middle of a grass verge that has been left to ‘rewild’.
Ms Oakes said the example was “an absolute contradiction”. She added:
“It’s like the plastic grass fiasco, they have not got their head around a different approach to gardening. Rewilding means a different kind of management.”
Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, took a more pragmatic approach to weed-killing on the Stray.
She said the council “presumably have their reasons” for spraying the chemicals but added weeds can give the Stray an unsightly appearance.
On rewilding, she said the verges have been used as a dumping ground for litter and dog waste.
“All those that love the wilding, there are those that hate it.
“Its a very difficult situation. It can look good and we must help the bee population. I’m down the middle on it. It’s an emotive subject, people get wound up about it.”
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Council’s response
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson explained why it has been using the weed-killer on the Stray.
Used car dealership launches in Harrogate as second hand market booms“Twice a year, weeds around path edges and the bases of trees, bins and other street furniture are sprayed with glyphosate.
“When applied – through a lance which produces droplets directly onto the weeds – it is instantly absorbed and kills the weed quickly. Any brown grass should grow back in the following months.
“This is kept to a minimum and only used because our lawnmowers are unable to cut close enough. It also means we’re not constantly strimming, using hoes or pulling out weeds by hand, allowing us to spend more time maintaining our parks and opens spaces across the Harrogate district.
“Understandably, weeds are favoured by some and are an eyesore to others. So we have to strike a balance to ensure all residents can enjoy the district.
“And we are constantly reviewing, trialling and amending our work practices to ensure we are working towards a sustainable environment.
“We actively encourage many areas to grow naturally and leave several areas from being cut as regularly; the Stray in Harrogate, Jacob Smith Park in Knaresborough and Quarry Moor Nature Reserve in Ripon, to name but a few. Again, some residents favour this approach and some don’t.
“We have also planted thousands of wildflowers, with the help of volunteers. As well as leaving log piles as habitats and vegetation, and adapting our formal bedding areas across the district to include more single, open flowers that are great for pollinators.
“This is a key objective for us and we have a number of schemes to enable the flora and fauna to thrive. We also continue to work in partnership with local community groups to collectively enhance the district’s wildlife and biodiversity.”
A new used car dealership has launched in Harrogate which aims to make buying a vehicle an “enjoyable and relaxed experience”.
Carlingo, which is based in the former Evans Halshaw showroom on Wetherby Road, has more than 120 cars in stock, ranging from a Nissan Micra to Porsche Macan.
The company says it believes in “quality not quantity” and prides itself on finding cars that have the most desired optional extras. These include a panoramic sunroof, heated seats, sat nav and upgraded alloys.
The second hand market grew 11.5 per cent on the back of the short supply of new vehicles, with 777,997 more sales than the previous year, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
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A Carlingo spokesperson said:
“We know that buying a car is a big decision, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a difficult one. Our friendly team is on hand at our spacious and relaxing new Harrogate showroom.”
The showroom on Freeman’s Way has been refurbished and boasts stylish modern interior.
Harrogate restaurant to do takeaways only due to staffing issuesYo Sushi in Harrogate has closed its dining area and will only be open for takeaways ‘until further notice’.
The Albert Street chain sells Japanese food on a conveyor belt, opening in 2016 along with the Everyman Cinema.
But a notice has gone up in its window that says the restaurant will be trading takeaway food for the time being.
The Stray Ferret asked a Yo Sushi team member who said the move is likely to last until the end of the month and was due to staffing problems.
Harrogate’s hospitality businesses have faced well-documented problems hiring staff over the past couple of years, with Brexit, high living costs and low pay all previously blamed for the crisis.
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Brawl breaks out on Harrogate’s Skipton Road
A mass brawl broke out in Harrogate last night and spilled on to the main Skipton Road.
A large group of men started fighting outside Bilton Working Men’s Club at about 7pm.
At one point the skirmishes extended on to Skipton Road, which affected traffic.
Police turned up shortly afterwards.
Club treasurer Alan Huddart said the incident wasn’t anything to do with the club, adding:
“We had a funeral booking and I believe it related to that but nothing took place inside the club.”
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:
“We were called to the incident last night just after 7pm following reports of a group of men causing a disturbance in the street.
“On arrival the group had dispersed, no allegations were made and no arrests have been made.”
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- Bilton Working Men’s Club decides on new name
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Harrogate man found guilty of animal cruelty
A Harrogate man has been found guilty of mistreating two pet dogs.
Robbie Nelson, 23, of Woodfield View, appeared before magistrates in York yesterday.
He was accused of failing to provide a suitable environment for a mastiff type dog called Rocco and a lurcher type dog called Smudge.
The case was brought by animal charity the RSPCA.
Nelson failed to turn up in court to respond to the charges on December 17 last year and was found guilty in his absence.
Police issued a warrant for his arrest on the same day and finally arrested him on Sunday.
At yesterday’s hearing, he was remanded on bail until June 28 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.
Hi bail conditions include having to report to Harrogate police station every Tuesday and to live and sleep each night at his home on Woodfield View.
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- Accountant jailed for conning Harrogate man out of his home
Harrogate digital marketing agency rebrands
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Harrogate digital marketing agency rebrands
Kariba, Harrogate’s oldest digital marketing agency, has rebranded as it celebrates its 25th year.
The business was set up by Chris Wilson in 1997, after being asked to build Harrogate Borough Council’s first ever website.
Since then, Kariba has gone on to design and build websites and provide a range of digital marketing services for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK.
Mr Wilson, who is Kariba’s managing director as well as its founder, said:
“Our brand refresh and new website means we have a more current look and feel, and in turn better reflects who we are and what we do today, so that we can appeal to those ambitious, growth-focused companies whom we love partnering with.”
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Building society set to move into Knaresborough Library
Knaresborough Library will close today at 5pm for work to accommodate the new branch Newcastle Building Society that is due to go into the building.
Since the last bank in Knaresborough closed last year, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have worked with the society to maintain local access to financial services.
Harrogate Borough Council has also worked with Barclays to bring its mobile banking service to the market town.
The library will reopen on Saturday. The building society is expected to open late this month or early July.
Work to accommodate @NewcastleBSoc at #Knaresborough Library will start this week.
The library will close at 5pm tomorrow and is scheduled to reopen at 9.30am on 11 June.
More: https://t.co/6CqfsfCfjY pic.twitter.com/aOYN06L2Dp
— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) June 7, 2022
Cllr Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, said:
Man rescued from river near Ripon“The issues regarding banking availability in Knaresborough have been well documented, and Harrogate Borough Council has pushed hard to seek a solution.”
A man was rescued from the River Ure at Sharow, near Ripon, today.
Firefighters were called to the river near Lowfield Lane at 9.39am this morning.
According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log, water crews from Ripon, Boroughbridge, Richmond, Harrogate and Selby “responded to a report of a male partially in the river”.
The incident log adds:
“The man was brought back up the embankment by fire crews and paramedics on a spinal board, to a waiting helicopter, for transfer to hospital with hypothermic symptoms.”
No further details have been provided.
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Harrogate police officer charged with sexual assault
A Harrogate police officer is to appear in court this week charged with sexual assault.
Joseph McCabe, of Kingsley Park Road, Starbeck, will appear at York Magistrates Court on Thursday.
He is accused of touching without consent at Scotch Corner Services, near Richmond, in August last year.
The 27-year-old officer is a serving North Yorkshire Police officer based at Harrogate police station.
He is currently suspended from duty.
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