judith holliday Archives - The Stray Ferret

Missing Harrogate woman found metres from search area, inquest hears

A woman who went missing from her care home in Harrogate last summer was found two weeks later just metres away from a police search area, an inquest heard today.

Judith Holliday was 73 when she left her care home in Harrogate on the morning of Saturday, August 27.

Her body was found two weeks later, on Saturday, September 10, along the railway embankment at Weeton.

At an inquest held in Northallerton this morning, coroner Jonathan Heath heard a post-mortem was unable to ascertain a cause of death. However, the pathologist who carried it out said it was likely she died from hypothermia not long after she was last seen.

The inquest heard the alarm was raised after Ms Holliday, who had a condition affecting her brain after suffering two haemorrhages since 2015, left Harcourt Gardens around 10.30am on Saturday, August 27.

She said she was going to visit her niece, who lived nearby, but she never arrived, and police were contacted later that day. Mr Heath said:

“The reason that she left and signed herself out will, regretfully, never be known.”

The inquest heard a member of staff at Harrogate Bus Station saw an appeal for information and quickly passed CCTV footage of Judith passing by to North Yorkshire Police.

Further footage of her on Station Parade was then found, but the trail went cold after that.

Ms Holliday was seen on CCTV along Station Parade

Over the following days, as the appeal for information reached more people, a number of sightings of Judith were reported in North Rigton.

She had flagged down a car in south Harrogate around 2.40pm and the occupants had given her a lift to the village. The front-seat passenger, who was named in court, said Ms Holliday told them she was going to meet her friend, but later that she was going to visit her grandparents.

In a report read out during the inquest, the passenger said:

“She seemed very calm, quiet and composed when she got into the car.”

The occupants dropped her at the Square and Compass pub, where a waitress also reported seeing her at about 3.30pm.

Ms Holliday was reported to have walked through the pub and back out of the door, staying around two minutes. The waitress did not see which way she went after leaving.

The new information moved the police search to centre around the pub. Over the following days, the search expanded, following paths and routes away from the village and stretching down as far as the A658, which runs adjacent to the railway line south of the village.

During the inquest, Ms Holliday’s family said they were grateful for everyone’s help in the search, but asked why it had not extended further, to include the railway line.

PC Dan Preston, a specialist search advisor, said research showed that physical barriers in the land often stop people who are missing and unsure where they are. He said the road was 500m from the pub where she was last seen, adding:

“We have to draw a line and unfortunately that’s the line we draw at that point. I can’t offer you more than that, unfortunately.

“We got so close because of all the statistics we have… I understand you want the answers. It’s frustrating, because we were so close.

“I don’t think it would have changed the outcome, unfortunately.”

Meanwhile, a woman who saw the appeals for information to trace Ms Holliday made a report to police in the week following her disappearance.

She said she had seen a woman on the embankment adjacent to the railway near North Rigton around 6.20pm on the Saturday, as she travelled on the train from Kings Cross to Harrogate. In a statement read out at the inquest, the passenger said:

“I guessed she must be picking blackberries, though I did think it was strange she was in that location.”

However, officers who had been involved in organising the search told the hearing they had not been passed the details of that reported sighting.

The Dunckeswick Lane level crossing. Photo: Roger Templeman/Geograph

On Saturday, September 10, another passenger on a train between Harrogate and Leeds called police to report seeing what they believed was a body in the undergrowth.

Officers arrived and found Ms Holliday’s body around 200m west of the level crossing at Dunkeswick Lane.

She had moved into Harcourt Gardens in early June, where the inquest heard she had settled well. Mr Heath added:

“She had a loving and supportive family and, regretfully, in the latter part of her life she had had some health issues that meant that, effectively, she couldn’t live on her own.

“It would appear from what I’ve read that that was a good move for her, in that she quickly settled, she found friends and her communication skills improved.”

Mr Heath delivered a narrative conclusion, used when there is no clear evidence of a single cause of death.

He said the cause of Ms Holliday’s death was unascertained, but that it was confirmed when she was found by the railway line at Weeton on September 10, after she went missing on August 27.

Inquest opens for Harrogate woman who went missing for two weeks

The inquest of Harrogate woman Judith Holliday, who died after going missing for two weeks last summer, was opened today.

Ms Holliday was 73 when she left her care home in Harrogate on a Saturday morning last September.

When she did not return, her family alerted the police and a search began. Over the following days, the search involved mountain rescue services and the use of drones to try to locate her.

Her family made repeated appeals to try to trace her movements, and sightings were confirmed at Harrogate bus station and on the way to North Rigton.

However, after two weeks of searching, Ms Holliday’s body was found adjacent to the level crossing on Dunkeswick Lane, Weeton.

North Yorkshire assistant coroner Alison Norton opened the hearing in Northallerton this morning.

She confirmed Ms Holliday was born in Zimbabwe in July 1949, and died in Weeton on September 10, 2022.

The coroner said a post mortem found the cause of death was unexplained. The inquest was adjourned to a date to be confirmed.

Police searching for missing Harrogate 73-year-old woman find a body

Police searching for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday have found a body near the railway at North Rigton.

Although formal identification has not yet taken place, the 73-year-old’s family have been informed and are being supported.

Due to the location of the body, British Transport Police is leading the investigation and will establish circumstances surrounding the death.

Rail and road closures have been in place following the report, which was made just after 12.20pm today.

Police say one lane of the A658 at North Rigton has now reopened, however officers remain at the scene.

Ms Holliday left her care home on Harcourt Road in Harrogate at 10.32am two weeks ago today on Saturday, August 27. She was then captured on CCTV at Harrogate bus station and later in Library Gardens at 10.43am.

It is believed she then caught a bus out of Harrogate and then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to North Rigton, where the last confirmed sighting took place.

Police used a drone to search for Ms Holliday in large open areas around North Rigton and Lindley Wood Reservoir.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret last week, her niece Lucinda Edwards appealed for her safe return and praised the response of the community.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We thank everyone who has supported the missing person inquiry.

“Our thoughts are with Judith’s family.”

Police use drone in search for missing Harrogate woman Judith

Police used a drone today in the search for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday.

The drone was flown in large open areas around North Rigton and Lindley Wood Reservoir as the search entered its 10th day.

Judith, 73, left her care home on Harcourt Road in Harrogate at 10.32am on Saturday, August 27. She was then captured on CCTV at Harrogate bus station and later in Library Gardens at 10.43am.

It’s believed she then caught a bus out of Harrogate and then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to North Rigton, where the last confirmed sighting took place.

North Yorkshire Police is now asking anyone who was in North Rigton between 1.30pm and 3pm on August 27 to check any dashcam or camera footage to see if it captured Judith.

Police searching for Judith Holliday at Almscliffe Crag.

She was last seen wearing a distinctive blue jacket and is described as being of thin build, approximately 5ft in height, and having medium length grey hair.

North Yorkshire Police critical incident inspector Phoebe Southall said:

“Please continue to support our search by checking dashcam and video footage and remaining vigilant.

“Please also check any outbuildings or sheltered areas.

“Any immediate sightings of Judith should be reported to 999.

“If you have any dashcam or video footage of Judith or information that could assist the investigation then please call us on 101. “

Quote reference number 12220153505 when providing information.

Lucinda Edwards, Judith’s niece, thanked people for their support:

“We’re so grateful for the level of support our community has shown in our mission to locate Judith.

“Judith and anyone living with an illness like hers deserves to have this level of support and awareness to keep them safe.”

Judith has dementia and requires medication, however she often presents fit and well.

Search for missing Harrogate woman focuses on North Rigton

The search for missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday is once again focusing on North Rigton after a possible sighting on a bus to Ripon was ruled out.

Judith, 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when she left her care home in Harrogate and walked to the bus station and Library Gardens.

A further sighting the same day in North Rigton has been confirmed by North Yorkshire Police.

Another sighting was reported on September 1 by a passenger on a bus to Ripon but this was ruled out today.

Judith Holliday

Judith’s family had been anxiously awaiting CCTV footage from the Harrogate Bus Company to confirm whether or not it was her.

Lucinda Edwards, Judith’s niece, appealed to the company on social media over the weekend to speed up the process of checking the CCTV images.

Lucinda told the Stray Ferret it was frustrating to have to wait until after the weekend for the footage to be assessed.

Ms Edwards, a charity fundraiser from Harrogate, said:

“There’s a vulnerable woman out there. I just feel let down that it’s taken days and days to check the footage.

“We are not looking for a stuffed bunny that’s been lost on a bus, we are looking for a 73-year-old lady and it’s not good enough.”

A spokesman for the Harrogate Bus Company said:

“We are co-operating fully with the police investigation, as we have done throughout, including provision of CCTV footage.”

Pub sighting

Lucinda, who has been back in North Rigton today searching, said Judith was spotted at the Square and Compass pub in the village early in the afternoon on the day of her disappearance.

She appealed to anyone who may have seen her, or who may have offered her a lift, to come forward.

Relatives spent the weekend giving out flyers in Otley, Ilkley, North Rigton and Wetherby.

In addition, hundreds of posters have gone up across the Harrogate district appealing for information.

Posters have gone up across the district.

Judith is described as being of thin build, approximately 5ft in height with medium length grey hair.

She has a condition which presents like vascular dementia, meaning she can get a bit confused, but often comes across as being as sharp as a tack.

Lucinda said:

“The kindness of people helping us to find her has been astonishing.”

North Yorkshire Police said anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

Fell rescuers assist in search for missing Harrogate woman

Police called in Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) yesterday to help search for missing Judith Holliday from Harrogate.

Judith, who is 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when she left her care home in Harrogate and walked to the bus station and Library Gardens.

After a further sighting the same day in North Rigton was confirmed by North Yorkshire Police on Friday, UWFRA was called yesterday to assist.

Posting on social media, UWFRA said:

“The team was tasked to search boundaries and features as much as possible within a 2km radius of her last known position and to aid NYP in search some of their predefined areas.

“All defined areas were completed as best as possible by 6.30pm, sadly without success, and the team stood down.”

There have been no further confirmed sightings of Judith since the Saturday she went missing, though her family told the Stray Ferret there had been suspected sightings reported throughout the week.

They urged the public to be vigilant for any sign of her this weekend when out and about.

Her niece Lucinda said Judith loved picnics in the countryside, with favourite spots including Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs and Almscliffe Crag.

Anyone who thinks they may have seen Judith is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

‘Help us get Judith home’ – plea from family of missing Harrogate woman

A week on from the last confirmed sighting of missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday, her family says they hope this weekend will bring the right result in their quest to get her home.

Judith, 73, was last seen on Saturday, August 27, when police believe she got a bus from Harrogate before flagging down a lift to North Rigton.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, her niece Lucinda Edwards said she wanted people to understand Judith as a person and to help ensure she was brought back to her family.

Judith grew up in Harrogate, attending the former Belmont Birklands school. Lucinda said she loves visiting Bettys, as well as going out into the countryside, to places like Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, for picnics and birdwatching.

She said:

“Judith has a condition which presents like vascular dementia.

“She has fluctuating capacity – she can get a bit confused, but often, she will come across as being as sharp as a tack.

“She can point out family homes from years ago in the villages around here, but her short-term memory is much more of a problem.

“When she gets tired, she gets more confused.”

Judith left the care home where she lives around 10.30am on Saturday, saying she was going to visit Lucinda, who lives nearby. However, she never arrived.

She was seen on CCTV heading from Harcourt Road towards the town centre, as well as at the bus station and in Library Gardens.

The latest sighting on the way to North Rigton was confirmed by police yesterday, after another report was received by someone who thought they saw in Wetherby last weekend.

Lucinda said:

“We’ve had potential sightings at Crimple, in the Saints area, Wetherby, North Rigton, other villages towards West Yorkshire – all on separate days.

“She can’t be everywhere, so we have to verify all of these to be sure they were her. That’s why CCTV is so important.

“We don’t want people to stop looking and reporting possible sightings, but we need evidence. We need to work smartly.”

Community response

The response from the community to Judith’s disappearance has been encouraging to her family. Many people have shared social media posts about her, while local businesses have put up posters to raise awareness.

Posters are also available to take from Jarfull, Porters and Sligsby’s coffee shop in central Harrogate, as the family hope they can cover a wider area with help from the public. Lucinda said:

“We’ve had amazing help. Harrogate is full of really good people and really nice business owners.

“I’m blessed with really good family and friends who know we’re going through a really hard time and are rallying.”

With Judith having been missing a week now, her family is asking people to be vigilant for her when out and about this weekend, and to check CCTV, doorbell cameras and dash cams from across the whole area since the time Judith was last seen.

Judith did not have bank cards or a bus pass with her, or access to a car, but could have been carrying a limited amount of cash.

Lucinda emphasised that Judith could be moving from place to place, even back towards Harrogate. She asked the community to keep looking wherever they were, even if it was not near previous sightings.

She added:

“If you see someone that looks out of place, or asks for help, to use a toilet or for food and drink or shelter, or even transport, perhaps a lift, please report it.

“For all we do a lot to help as a family, Judith has lived a life and travelled, and I don’t know how resourceful she might be in this situation.”

North Yorkshire Police said anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote reference number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported via 999.

Harrogate woman missing for six days as police remain ‘extremely concerned’

A 73-year-old woman from Harrogate has been missing for six days as police remain “extremely concerned” for her welfare.

Judith Holliday was reported missing after last being seen on Saturday (August 27) in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police continue to search for Judith and have urged people to remain vigilant and report any sightings of her.

She is described as white, thin build, approximately 5ft in height, with medium-length grey bobbed hair. She was last seen wearing dark-coloured trousers and a blue jacket.

She may still be wearing the distinctive coat.

Police say they now have a new last confirmed sighting of Judith, on Saturday, August 27 in North Rigton.

Officers said it’s believed that Judith left Harrogate by bus, then flagged down a member of the public and asked for a lift to the village.

Judith also has links to Wetherby and sightings have been reported in Wetherby, Knaresborough, Otley and Ilkley.

Louise Pegg, North Yorkshire Police Critical Incident Inspector, said:

“We are extremely concerned for the welfare of Judith as she has now been missing for nearly a week.

“Judith requires medication and has dementia but often presents fit and well.

“Judith’s family are doing everything they can to help locate Judith and officers are supporting them as we continue to try and locater her.

“If required, the searches will continue across the weekend. I would urge any members of the public who are out and about today and this weekend to remain vigilant and report any immediate sightings of Judith to 999.”

Anyone with any information that could assist with the search should call 101 and quote ref number 12220153505.

Any immediate sightings should be reported to 999.

Reported sighting of missing Harrogate woman in Wetherby

North Yorkshire Police says a member of the public reported seeing missing Harrogate woman Judith Holliday in Wetherby yesterday, as officers continue to search for the missing 73-year-old.

Judith was last seen on Saturday at 10.43am at Library Gardens in Harrogate after she left her care home.

Police believe she may have walked from here to use public transport.

She is described as white, thin build, approximately 5ft in height, with medium-length grey bobbed hair. She was last seen wearing dark-coloured trousers and a coat.

The police have deployed their operational support unit as well as a drone to search for her in rural areas around Harrogate.

Extensive CCTV enquires are also taking place to try and establish any further positive sightings.

North Yorkshire Police critical incident inspector, Martin Smith said:

“We’re currently extremely concerned for the welfare of Judith. I believe that Judith has either walked from this location on foot or has used public transport.

“I would urge members of the public, in particular people in the Harrogate and Wetherby areas to remain vigilant, and report any sightings to police immediately.”

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