Wanted man fell to death from tree in Harrogate district, inquest told

A man wanted by police was found dead in a field in the Harrogate district, an inquest has heard.

Marcin Mikulski, 42, fell from a tree after telling police he intended to kill himself. He had also posted a video on social media up a large tree saying this was where he wanted to “fall asleep”.

His body was found in a field 500 metres from the A6055 near Staveley, which is between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.

The inquest heard he was a suspect in a serious incident in Boroughbridge.

The precise nature of the incident wasn’t revealed but statements from senior police officers revealed a helicopter and police dog units were deployed to find him.

Mr Mikulski died on July 16 last year — when police began searching for him.

Police intelligence and phone tracking enabled police to narrow their search for Mr Mikulski but his body wasn’t found until the day after his death.

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Coroner Oliver Longstaff told the inquest that letters addressed to family, which were found in Mr Mikulski’s car, acknowledged his involvement in the crime and expressed regret and upset at his actions.

Mr Longstaff said the letters, along with phone calls to the police, were enough to suggest Mr Mikuslki did intend to end his life.

He recorded a verdict of suicide at Friday’s inquest in Northallerton.

 

 

 

Inquest hears tributes to bikers killed in head-on collision in Masham

The families of two bikers who died in a head-on collision near Masham have paid tributes at a joint inquest into their deaths, which concluded today.

Paramedics certified Martin Ragg, who was from the Ripon area, and Michael ‘Mick’ Lynas, who was from the Thirsk area, dead at the scene of the collision on the A1608 on Sunday, April 25 in 2021.

Coroner Oliver Longstaff submitted written evidence and questioned a collision investigator from North Yorkshire Police at the inquest.

The inquest heard how the crash happened at a blind summit close to the Brymor Ice Cream parlour and that Mr Ragg had been attempting to overtake a car before he moved one and a half metres into the oncoming lane before the crash.

Both men died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Mr Longstaff said:

“The point of an inquest is not to apportion blame but to determine the facts which lead up to the deaths.

“On the balance of probabilities the collision happened in the northbound carriageway and Mr Ragg was on the wrong side of the road.

“What strikes me is, from listening to what both families have said, that these two men would have got on quite well and become good friends if they had ever met.

“I hope it is some comfort to know that they both died instantly while doing something they loved.”

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Tina Lynas, who was the wife of Mick Lynas, said:

“Mick was passionate about motorcycles — in fact, much to the shock of my mum, he picked me up for our first date on a motorcycle. He was a great rider and never a risk taker.

“He collected motorcycles and at the time of his passing he had 13 in his possession. On the day of the crash he went out with his daughter Eve on a separate bike to meet his friends in Masham. He was then going to see family in Middlesbrough.

“I was just getting to leave to meet him there when I took a call from Eve. Mick’s passing has left a huge hole in our hearts. He was a loving man, full of life. He was community driven and would do anything for anyone.”

‘Lives shattered in an instant’

Jayne Ragg, who was the wife of Martin Ragg, said:

“Our lives were shattered in an instant. Martin often left early for his trips and did not want to wake me up when he headed out. So I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him.

“He had a fantastic sense of humour and he was a larger-than-life character who loved his family with all his heart.

“We have raised more than £7,000 for Brake, a road safety charity, and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We also sent £2,000 to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance separately.”

Inquest to explore how Harrogate boy, 16, died in adult homeless hostel

An inquest will investigate how a 16-year-old Harrogate schoolboy, who was exploited by county lines drug dealers and struggled with mental health issues, died in a homeless hostel for adults.

Benjamin Nelson-Roux, a student at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died in Harrogate on April 8 2020. His body was found by his mother, Kate.

The North Yorkshire Coroner’s Office held a second pre-inquest review in Northallerton today to review the evidence ahead of a full inquest.

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Jon Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, listened to submissions from lawyers acting on behalf of the family as well as the various agencies involved in the case. Mr Heath said:

“In the full inquest I must consider the risk to Benjamin and the responsibility Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council had for him.

“He was placed in this hostel because it was staffed 24 hours a day. The hostel is for adults. Benjamin was 16-years-old. He was deemed to be ‘at significant risk of death’ just two days before he died.”

Mr Heath revealed that he would call 23 witnesses at the full inquest, which is due to be heard over 12 days on a date to be determined before July.

Inquest opens into death of Harrogate suspected murder victim

A suspected Harrogate murder victim died from head and torso injuries, according to the coroner who opened an inquest into his death today.

Gracijus Balciauskas, 41, died just before Christmas on the night of Monday, December 20 at a flat on Mayfield Grove.

Jon Heath, senior coroner for York and North Yorkshire, said at the hearing in Northallerton today:

“Mr Balciauskas resided in Harrogate on Mayfield Grove. He was found deceased at the property the following morning.

“The provisional cause of death is by head and torso injuries. This inquest was formally opened on January 6 and adjourned pending further investigation by the police.”

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Vitalijus Koreiva, 36, of Mayfield Grove, and Jaroslaw Rutowicz, 38, of no fixed abode, appeared at York Magistrates Court last month charged with murder.

They did not enter pleas and the case was adjourned until February 4.

Suspected Harrogate murder victim named ahead of inquest

A suspected Harrogate murder victim has been named ahead of the opening of an inquest into his death tomorrow.

George Balciauskas, 41, died just before Christmas on the night of Monday, December 20 at a flat on Mayfield Grove.

A coroner will open an inquest into the circumstances surrounding Mr Balciauskas’ death tomorrow in Northallerton. The case is likely to be adjourned pending the outcome of the murder trial.

Vitalijus Koreiva, 36, of Mayfield Grove, and Jaroslaw Rutowicz, 38, of no fixed abode, appeared at York Magistrates Court last month charged with murder.

They did not enter pleas and the case was adjourned until February 4.

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Hearing begins into death of Harrogate schoolboy Benjamin Nelson-Roux, 16

A pre-inquest review hearing was held yesterday into the death of a 16-year-old schoolboy from Harrogate.

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

The North Yorkshire Coroner’s Office, which is holding the investigation, heard that Benjamin was found dead by his mother while staying at a Harrogate hostel.

Benjamin’s parents, Kate and Barry, attended yesterday’s hearing. It was revealed they had instructed their solicitor, Ciara Bartlam, of Ison Harrison, to state that mental health was a contributing factor to their son’s death alongside drug misuse.

In a letter published after their son’s death, the parents had written about how their “funny, clever, caring” son had endured a “heart breaking struggle with mental health problems which he tried to fix with substance misuse”.

The inquest will examine the multi-agency response to providing Benjamin with the right support.

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Solicitors and representative from the various agencies involved, which include North Yorkshire County Council, North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust  will now forward written submissions to the coroner before the inquest officially opens.

Jon Heath, the lead coroner, adjourned the hearing until another pre-inquest review hearing in January.

At the next hearing, the coroner will decide if further witnesses need to be called before the inquest opens.

Harrogate hospital patient died after becoming disconnected from ventilator

A woman died at Harrogate District Hospital after she became disconnected from a ventilator.

Karen Smith, 44, died on October 25 last year. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death opened in Northallerton this week.

The inquest heard how Ms Smith became disconnected from her ventilator on October 24 and died the following day as a result of a suspected hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Jonathan Heath, senior coroner for North Yorkshire, adjourned the inquest for a full hearing at a later date yet to be confirmed.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We wish to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Karen Smith.

“Until the inquest has concluded we are unable to comment further.”

Parents’ tribute to Harrogate girl on acne drug who took her life

The heartbroken parents of a Harrogate schoolgirl who was on an acne drug when she took her life paid tribute to her at an inquest today.

Annabel Wright, 15, was found dead in her room on the evening of May 1, 2019. Her parents discovered her body.

Harrogate District Hospital had prescribed the schoolgirl, who attended St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate, the drug Roaccutane, also known as isotretinoin, to treat her acne.

Giving evidence at an inquest in Northallerton today, Helen and Simon Wright said Annabel was a happy child with no history of depression.

Ms Wright said:

“Annabel was the brightest child. She was easy going, happy and she never had any issues. She enjoyed school and had a great set of friends there.

“I believe that Roaccutane led to her suicide. Normal, happy people like Annabel don’t just commit suicide without any signs or anything leading up to it.”

Concerns about drug’s link to suicide

The inquest heard that in January 2019 Annabel had self-harmed. Mr and Ms Wright discussed the incident with their daughter but did not mention it to the doctor, as they did not think it was linked to her medication.

When Annabel was first prescribed Roaccutane in October 2018, Ms Wright raised concerns about the drug after reading articles online linking it with suicide.

The doctor told Ms Wright she believed there was no causal link between the drug and increased risk of suicide.

Mr Wright said of his daughter:

“She was perfect. We adored Annabel and she adored us, we were a close-knit family.

“My wife and mother-in-law had taken our son out to a young farmers’ club on the day that Annabel died.

“I came home from work late at around 8pm and went to see Annabel in her room when we had a chat about the Spanish exam she took that morning.”

Mr Wright later went downstairs for dinner. When the rest of his family got back they went to check once again on Annabel.

Mr Wright found his daughter’s body and called for an ambulance, which took Annabel to hospital in Harrogate where she later died.

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Parents say risk should have been made clearer

Mr and Ms Wright both said they believed Roaccutane was the cause of Annabel’s suicide and blamed the hospital for not making the risks clearer.

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to respond to the Wrights’ claims.

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at the trust, said:

“We wish to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Annabel Wright.

“Following Annabel’s tragic death, the trust commenced an investigation and our findings have been shared with Annabel’s family and HM Coroner.

“Until the inquest has concluded we are unable to comment further.”

The inquest into Annabel Wright’s death continues.

Samaritans are available 365 days a year for people in need of support. You can call them free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Harrogate dad died skydiving in parachute with holes patched over

A Harrogate man died during a skydive after he was given a parachute with holes patched over.

An inquest yesterday heard Christopher Swales was skydiving over the Grand Canyon in America in September 2019 as a 30th wedding anniversary present from his wife, Deborah.

The couple were on holiday in Arizona where they renewed their wedding vows.

They booked Mr Swales’ skydive with a company called Paragon Skydiving.

The inquest at Northallerton heard Mr Swales was partnered with an experienced military instructor, Matthew McGonagle, for his tandem jump.

In a statement, Mr McGonagle said everything was normal on the morning of the jump. He said the winds were high at 27mph, which is two miles more than allowed in the UK for a skydive to take place. But the American Air Force expert had jumped many times in those conditions.

Mr Swales and his instructor jumped out of a Cessna aircraft, and the parachute opened. Minutes later, witnesses on the ground say the men began freefalling down at speed.

When they hit the ground, Mr Swales suffered serious injuries. Staff on the ground performed CPR on Mr Swales, but he was later certified dead. Mr McGonagle had broken his leg.

Chris and Debbie Swales

Chris and Deborah Swales. Photograph: Facebook

Performed over 1,500 jumps

The inquest heard Mr McGonagle, 34, had worked at the US Air Force as a jump master, and he had performed over 1500 jumps. He had an additional weekend job with Paragon Skydiving.

Mr McGonagle told American police he felt the pressure change as they approached the landing area, and he suspected the parachute had collapsed. After hitting the ground, he remembered little else other than medical staff and being taken to hospital.

The owner of Paragon Skydiving, Jason Theuma, watched the jump from the ground. He told police all the equipment was functioning correctly but maintained that Mr McGonagle must have panicked once he realised they were going to miss the landing area.

Theuma said he saw his employee attempt an “aggressive left turn, midair”. He told officers that he saw the two men hit the ground “at high speed in a loud boom and a cloud of dust” 100 yards away from the landing zone.

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US police took the parachute from Paragon’s offices, as part of their investigation into Mr Swales’ death.

The American police report states that they found, ‘numerous patches sewn into the fabric’. Defects or holes in the material had been circled with a pen.

American police closed their investigation after ruling Christopher Swales’ death as accidental.

Family statement

The coroner, Jonathan Heath, said:

“It appears there was nothing untoward at the start of the free fall parachute jump. It then appeared that the landing site was going to be missed. A manoeuvre was performed. The parachute did not recover from that manoeuvre which led to the free fall.

“On the balance of probabilities…this was an accident.”

Seven family of Mr Swales’ family members sat silently listening. Two of them began crying as they made a statement, which said:

“It is important for these proceedings to establish the facts. Chris had a very full life. Full of love and exciting fun times. We had many good times. That is how we are going to remember him.”

Inquest opens into two deaths at Harrogate’s Majestic hotel

A coroner has opened an inquest into this month’s suspected murder-suicide at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel.

The inquest yesterday heard how Chenise Gregory and Michael McGibbon, who were both aged 29, died in a room at the hotel on May 4. They were found at 10.20pm.

John Broadbridge, assistant coroner for North Yorkshire and York, told the inquest:

“Chenise Gregory and Michael McGibbon died on May 4. They were found unresponsive, having suffered evident stab wounds.

“This was opened in Northallerton and adjourned for a full inquest, which should be held within the next three months.”

The full inquest will investigate how the pair, from London, died and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

North Yorkshire Police has said it believed Ms Gregory was murdered by Mr McGibbon, who then killed himself.

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Devante Gravesande-Smith, a barrister from London who was a cousin of Ms Gregory, has described her as a “loving and caring person, whose smile would light up a room”.

He claimed she was “lured to her death at the hands of her controlling and manipulative ex-boyfriend”.