A heroin addict with over 100 offences to his name has been jailed for over four years for the cashpoint robbery of a young woman and a shocking attack that left a man with a broken neck.

Clifford McDermid, 44, targeted the woman as she withdrew £150 from the cash machine outside Sainsbury’s Local on Kings Road in Harrogate.

McDermid crept up behind her and snatched the money from her grasp, saying “Thank you” as he fled amid the “terrified” woman’s screams, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Michael Cahill said the victim, who was named in court, was with her five-year-old son at the time of the incident on December 4, 2019.

McDermid, a heroin addict, was identified on CCTV and arrested later that day in Grove Park Terrace.

He told police:

“I can’t believe I did that. I’m ashamed of myself. Robbing a lady at a cash point. Her screams will live with me forever.”

Neighbour ‘feared dead’

McDermid was released under investigation and was still at large when he was involved in a run-in with his neighbour in March last year which could so easily have been fatal, the court was told.

A couple had just returned to their apartment block after a night out and could smell cannabis coming from McDermid’s flat.

McDermid, who was stood in the doorway, said to the husband: “What’s your problem?”

The victim, who was named in court, asked him to shut his door because of the smell coming from the flat and threatened to report the matter to their landlord, whereupon McDermid walked up to him, asking him to “leave it and not report it”.

He asked to shake hands but as the victim “reluctantly” did so, McDermid grabbed his hand “forcefully” and deliberately pulled him off-balance, causing him to fall down the stairs.

“He fell 12 stairs down the (stairway) and hit his head on the floor, losing consciousness,” said Mr Cahill.

The man’s terrified wife feared her husband had died and called 999. Police and an ambulance crew were called out.

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The victim – who suffered two fractures of his neck, two cuts to his head and a “frozen” shoulder — was taken to Harrogate District Hospital by ambulance. He was given cortisone injections and fitted with a neck collar for pain relief.

McDermid, of Kings Road, was arrested 12 days later and charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the victim and robbing the woman at the cash machine. He ultimately admitted both offences and appeared for sentence on Wednesday.

Thrown down stairs

The male victim said he had lost his job due to his injuries and still had trouble sleeping due to the pain in his neck. He could still barely move his right arm and was still receiving treatment.

His injuries had severely curtailed his once-active social life and he’d had to step down as captain of a snooker-and-darts team.

His wife said McDermid was clearly high on drugs and she thought she was “about to become a widow” when she saw her husband land head-first and lose consciousness after being thrown down the stairs.

“He could have been killed or (ended up) in a wheelchair,” she added.

The young mother who was robbed at the cash point said she was “stunned, shocked and extremely cross” after being targeted by McDermid in broad daylight.

She said McDermid must have targeted her because he knew that a mother with a young child wouldn’t be able to chase him. She added:

“This (incident) triggered weeks of not sleeping (and) I have a very demanding job.”

She had since suffered from anxiety which was a “horrid feeling” and was unable to pay some of her bills because £110 was a “huge chunk of my wage”.

McDermid had 48 previous convictions for 159 offences including theft from the person. In 2002, he was jailed for eight years for armed robbery.

Heroin habit

Danielle Graham, for McDermid, said the father-of-one had robbed the woman to get money for drugs. He had a 20-year heroin habit and a personality disorder exacerbated by drugs.

She said she could not argue against the profound effect these “nasty” incidents had had on both victims.

Judge Simon Hickey said McDermid had a “worrying” record and that he had “obviously” been lurking in the area waiting to target a “vulnerable woman with a child”.

He told McDermid he was “fortunate not to have killed” his neighbour after “deliberately pulling (him) off-balance and down 12 steps”.

McDermid was jailed for four years and nine months, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.

Harrogate Grammar School is inviting people to join a walk next week in memory of a student who died of suicide.

Dom Sowa died in 2017 aged 17.

The school is taking part in a month of walks in the UK called Hopewalk, which raises money in support of Papyrus — a charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

Harrogate Grammar, which has been supporting Hopewalk for the last four years, is holding a four-mile walk around Fewston reservoir on October 17 at 10am.

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It is inviting others to join in and help raise awareness of suicide prevention.

A map of the walk can be found here. The school is asking walkers to meet in the car park at point 1.

More than 30 cyclists took part in a 170-mile coast-to-coast challenge to raise money for charity in memory of a Harrogate businessman.

Richard Jones, who was well-known in Harrogate and Wetherby, died aged 51 in January this year with acute myeloid leukaemia, which is a type of blood cancer.

Mr Jones ran design agency Finepoint in Harrogate and audio visual company Clever Association.

He was due to take part in a cycle ride this year, which his friends have now completed as a tribute and to fundraise for Phoenix Health and Wellbeing.

Members of Wetherby Rugby Union Club completed the Way of the Roses cycle route for the challenge.

Richard with his son Frankie at the rugby club.

On day one they travelled 95 miles from Morecambe in Lancashire to Wetherby. On day two they took on 75 miles from Wetherby to Bridlington.

When the group returned, others club members welcomed them with homemade cakes and a barbecue.

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The club has already agreed to do another cycle race next year on September 9 and 10. Proceeds will go to Leukaemia Research.

Gill Trevor, who works for Phoenix Health and Wellbeing, and helped organise the event, said:

“We were delighted with the support from Wetherby RFC, especially with the event being in memory of someone like Richard.

“The monies raised will help so many people with mental health issues, who without our support, wouldn’t have access to our services.”

Since his death, Wetherby Rugby Club has raised £50,000 towards refurbishment of its Grange Park Clubhouse and £11,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice.

The Rogers’ almshouses in Harrogate have undergone a £200,000 refurbishment and welcomed three new residents.

Bradford mill owner George Rogers built the almshouses in 1868 for former employees when he retired to Harrogate.

They have provided low cost housing to people in need ever since.

Harrogate district mayor Trevor Chapman yesterday opened a new almshouse, which was created by converting an old laundry on the site.

Two other houses have been refurbished, meaning three new residents will move into the 15 dwellings, which are opposite St Peter’s Church of England Primary School on Belford Road.

The work was funded by a £95,000 grant by Homes England, which is the government housing agency, and funding from the Rogers’ Almshouse Charity, which owns the site.

The one-bedroom homes are run by a board of trustees, which includes the Dean of Bradford Cathedral, the vicars of Christ Church and St Peter’s Church in Harrogate along with a team of volunteers.

To qualify for an almshouse, residents must be aged over 60, have lived in Bradford or Harrogate for at least three years and meet hardship criteria.

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Guests from Homes England and the Almshouse Association were among those present at the opening of the new homes.

Schoolchildren from St Peter’s, who traditionally support the almshouses  by carol singing and presenting gifts at Christmas, sang at the event.

Stuart Holland, chair of trustees at Rogers’ Almshouse Charity, said:

“The grade two listed building is admired by so many as they pass by.

“They look at the brown plaque, enjoy the award winning garden and dream of living in such beautiful houses.”

Police have appealed for witnesses and CCTV footage after a car was stolen from a house in Harrogate in a Hanoi-style burglary.

A blue Audi A3 with the registration HV67 CPF was taken from a property on West Cliffe Terrace between 2am and 3am on October 2.

North Yorkshire Police has also said it is keen to trace a man who was in the area at the time of the theft. It is unclear if the force is treating him as a suspect or a witness.

The man who police want to speak to was described as wearing a grey hoodie and black jogging bottoms with short fair hair and a slim build.

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A spokesperson for the police said:

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, we are requesting that people check their ring door bells or any CCTV within the surrounding streets to West Cliffe Terrace, during the hour we believe this occurred.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for PC Smith 143.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Homes England has expressed frustration at Harrogate councillors for stalling its bid to build 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre.

The government housing agency has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

Instead it deferred the scheme pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

The plan was expected last year but has been delayed.

In an email dated June 18 to Harrogate Borough Council, which the Stray Ferret obtained through a freedom of information request, Homes England described the planning committee’s decision as “extremely disappointing”.

It said it was made due to councillors’ “misconceptions” about the role of Homes England.

The email claims these misconceptions were because council officers did not properly brief the councillors who voted on the scheme about what the housing agency does.

It also warned it was considering taking legal action against the council over the decision.

Councillors influenced by ‘misconceptions’

In the email to the council, Homes England stressed its importance in buying stalled sites that have been “subject to market failure” and helping the council meet government housing targets.

The email said Homes England had approached the council about briefing councillors themselves on the role of the housing agency but said this offer was rejected. It says this led to “misconceptions” that influenced councillors’ decision-making.

“Concerns in respect of the Agency’s role in ‘accelerating housing delivery’ are particularly frustrating and in our view could have been satisfactorily addressed at an early stage of the process via stakeholder consultation or a briefing to members from Homes England.

“This approach was suggested to HBC at various stages, but we were advised against direct engagement with members and our understanding was that officers would manage this process on our behalf. It is therefore frustrating that HBC have not addressed these fundamental questions in their role of briefing members on the application.”

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Homes England also disputed that the Police Training Centre site should form part of the parameters plan.

“Homes England does not consider any policy basis exists to delay determination of the application until the completion of the WHPP. The WHPP does not form part of the development plan, and has not been consulted upon and is not sufficiently advanced to form a material consideration to any application at this time.

“The Police Training Centre is an allocated site with an extant consent and we were surprised to be in a position whereby the application has been deferred pending the approval of the WHPP, which is likely to take a number of months to complete.

“We’d be grateful if HBC can provide a response setting out their proposed strategy for successful navigating this application through planning committee as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are seeking legal advice regarding our planning strategy, including the merits of an Appeal against Non-Determination.”

What happens next?

The site from above is highlighted in red.

The email to HBC says Homes England has appointed Countryside Properties Ltd to build the homes pending a successful planning application.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England continues to engage with Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and local resident groups regarding its outline planning application at the Police Training Centre, which is part of the borough council’s adopted Local Plan.”

A Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents’ Association (HAPARA) spokesperson said the council’s planning committee made the correct decision in deferring the application, pending the publication of the parameters plan.

“Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed during engagement sessions that the geographical extent of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan does include this site.

“Homes England is taking a deliberately narrow view of the planning framework when it is clear that the public interest is best served by the wider implications for the western arc area being considered, through the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The delivery of new homes and communities is a key corporate priority for us, and we work very closely with Homes England, and other partners, to deliver our housing delivery action plan.

“Councillors receive regular training sessions on all aspects of our housing delivery and strategic sites work to ensure we can all support this plan.”

Economy leaders at Harrogate Borough Council have backed plans for an expansion of a controversial animal testing company in the town.

Labcorp Drug Development, which was previously called Covance and is based on Otley Road, has lodged plans to refurbish and expand its site after purchasing six vacant buildings.

The company bought the former Nidec SR Drives offices, known as East Park House, in December 2020 for £2.45 million, according to HM Land Registry documents.

Under plans submitted to the council, the firm would refurbish and extend the former Nidec offices.

A new entrance would be created, and the ground and first floors would be reconfigured. A one-way system to access the car park would also be built to reduce “traffic complications” on nearby Otley Road.

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Labcorp also intends to refurbish five other buildings on the site to create office space, create extensions for “new plant requirements” and create further car parking and cycle space.

In planning documents submitted to the council, the company said:

“The design, configuration, and palette of materials for the proposal have been well thought out and are of high quality. The refurbishment works to the property will greatly improve the appearance of the building, but more importantly also ensure the continued life of the building by occupying a currently unused unit.

“Carrying out the proposed work creates a usable building for the new required use and will ensure that the building is occupied and maintained and does not fall into disrepair, which would result in a negative impact on the surrounding area.”

How East Park House would look.

In response to a council consultation, Rebecca Micallef, the authority’s economic and transport officer, said the council’s economic development team was “fully supportive” of the proposal.

She said:

“This proposal will enable expansion of the business within its current location and promote the adaptation, refurbishment and reuse of a currently vacant commercial property. The proposed capital investment from a foreign company is particularly welcomed during this time of economic uncertainty caused by covid and Brexit.

“The proposed expansion and development will support Labcorp’s future within the Harrogate district and secure additional high level, high paid skilled jobs, directly supporting the aims of our economic growth strategy.”

Harrogate Borough Council planning officers will decide whether to accept the plan at a later date.

Last month, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, requested a meeting with George Freeman, science minister, to discuss Labcorp’s proposed UK expansion over the next five years.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jones told Mr Freeman that the company was “one of the largest employers in my constituency”.

The request was later criticised by animal rights charity PETA, which urged Mr Jones to “wake up to the advent of progressive, non-animal research”.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has withdrawn an invitation to Philip Allott to speak at its November meeting.

The group invites prominent figures from local government, charity and business to address members on topics related to Harrogate at its monthly meetings.

Mr Allott, the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, was due to speak about his role, current policing and his priorities for the future.

However, the commissioner has received heavy criticism following comments on BBC Radio York on Friday about the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.

In the interview, Mr Allott said women “need to be streetwise” and that Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said the group had withdrawn its offer to Mr Allott.

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Mr Simister said:

“We had initially invited North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to speak at this meeting, but this offer was withdrawn on Monday morning.

“Instead, we have invited the team behind delivering the £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway project to present the next stage of the consultation process, which includes revised plans and detailed drawings.

“Due to the importance of this subject, we will be making this an open meeting to all town centre businesses, as we want them to fully appreciate the implications the scheme will have on them and their customers.

“During the open networking session, taking place between 5.30pm and 6.15pm, attendees will have an opportunity to examine the plans, give feedback, and submit questions to be put to the delivery team at the meeting following their presentation.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, London mayor Sadiq Khan and TV personality Piers Morgan have been among those condemning Mr Allott’s comments and calling for his resignation. More than 8,000 people have signed a petition calling on him to step down.

The Stray Ferret emailed Mr Allott’s office for a response. His office sent a link to an apology he made over the weekend, which said.

“I would like to reiterate my heartfelt apology for my comments on BBC Radio York on Friday October 1, which I realise were both misconceived and insensitive and have caused upset and distress. I have withdrawn the remarks.”

An air ambulance landed at Harrogate’s Hookstone Park this morning to treat a person who fell at an industrial unit.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance said in a statement:

“At 08.38am we dispatched our Nostell aircraft to a fall in Harrogate.

“Our critical care team provided on-scene support and the patient was taken to hospital by land ambulance.”

A Stray Ferret reader spotted the air ambulance in the Morrisons car park at around 9am this morning.

She said the crew went to join paramedics already on the scene at warehouses round the corner.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service said:

“We received a call at 8.26am this morning to reports of a person who had fallen from a roof in the Hookstone Park area of Harrogate.”

The extent of the patient’s injuries is not currently known.

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Eighteen people are due to appear in court in Harrogate charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this evening that four of the 18 have also been charged with human trafficking of young people.

The charges relate to Operation Jackal, an investigation into county lines drug dealing between Harrogate and Bradford.

The accused are due to appear at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on October 7 and 21.

‘County lines’ refers to drug dealers in towns and cities establishing supply chains in rural areas, often using young and vulnerable people to carry, store, and sell drugs.

The charges follow a policing operation in Bradford and Harrogate last year involving North Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Police, the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit, the National Crime Agency and the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

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