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Man jailed after causing death of woman in car crash near Ripon

A man has been jailed for two years for causing the death of his friend by dangerous driving near Ripon.

Harry Elliott, 25, was driving his high-performance Audi RS3 at “excessive speeds” in the run-up to the fatal crash on the B6265 at Risplith near the city.

The Audi, which was carrying four passengers including 20-year-old Naomi Buckle from Catterick Garrison, crashed into a tree after Elliott lost control on a blind, sharp bend, York Crown Court heard.

The mother-of-one from, whose seat belt was under her arm and around her stomach, was shunted forward by the impact and suffered a haemorrhage.

An ambulance was called but Naomi, described as a “beautiful, perfect” daughter, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutor Eleanor Fry said that Elliott had been driving his friends, including Naomi and three young men, from the Richmond area to Brimham Rocks in Summerbridge when the horror crash occurred in the early hours of December 19, 2019.

She said the atmosphere inside the car had been “somewhat hyper” and loud music was blaring. Elliott had been warned by his friends “on at least one occasion” to slow down.

Naomi and her boyfriend, who was also a passenger, had been picked up by Elliott after they finished their work shifts.

She was sat in the back seat with her seat belt on, but evidence suggested she had moved the upper part of her seat belt under her arm.

Naomi Buckle, who was killed in the crash near Grantley Hall on December 6, 2019. Picture: North Yorkshire Police.

Naomi Buckle, who died in the crash near Grantley Hall on December 6, 2019. Picture: North Yorkshire Police.

Ms Fry said that Elliott’s mobile phone was on the dashboard, blaring loud music, and video footage from another phone showed that the passengers were “shouting and cheering”.

The Audi was initially travelling down the A1(M) at an average speed of 94mph but at some points “significantly faster”.

It then moved onto the A6005 where it continued to drive at over the speed limit in wet conditions.

The Audi then turned onto the B6265 which had no street lighting and along which were warning signs about bends in the road and the need for careful driving.

Ms Fry said:

“It was about 2am and dark.

“It was raining. The ground was wet and the car was laden with five people.”

The Audi was travelling at “high speeds”, thought to be 69mph, as it approached a sharp, blind bend and veered out of control. Elliott slammed on the brakes, but the car struck a tree.

Naomi, who had a three-year-old daughter, was shunted forward and suffered a haemorrhage. A road-accident expert later concluded that if the seat belt had been fitted properly, it might have saved her life.

An ambulance was called and Elliott and his friend tried to resuscitate Naomi, but her condition deteriorated by the time the emergency services arrived and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The three other passengers, who were named in court, all suffered serious injuries. One suffered broken ribs and a fractured hand, breastbone and coccyx. Another passenger suffered a fractured wrist and breastbone and broken ribs.

Naomi’s boyfriend, with whom she had been living, suffered two spinal fractures, suspected broken ribs and whiplash.

Elliott, who suffered minor injuries, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. He was also initially charged with three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He ultimately admitted causing Naomi’s death by dangerous driving on the first day of his trial in June after initially denying the offence. The three remaining charges relating to the three male passengers were allowed to lie on court file.

Elliott, from Richmond, appeared for sentence today – two-and-a-half years after the fatal crash which the prosecution described as “truly tragic”.

Ms Fry said that Elliott – who had drunk “two pints” some time before getting behind the wheel but was not over the limit – had driven “over-confidently, at speed”, on roads he knew very well, “no doubt encouraged (by the atmosphere in the car) and the music”.

‘Beautiful, perfect daughter’

In a statement read out in court, Naomi’s father Gary Buckle said that Naomi was a “beautiful, perfect” daughter.

He said that when Naomi’s late mother Elaine received the call on December 19 “it was the start of what can only be described as hell for our family for over three years”.

He said his wife’s heart was “broken” after they got the “dreadful knock on the door” to be told their beloved daughter had died.

He added:

“It completely broke me. She had so much to live for.”

He said his wife’s already-fragile health deteriorated after Naomi’s death and she too passed away in 2021.

Mr Buckle added:

“She never saw justice for Naomi and died with so many unanswered questions.”

Defence barrister Dan Cordey said that Elliott was “genuinely remorseful” for causing the death of his close friend.

Judge Sean Morris told Elliott he had caused the death of a “much-loved and dear young woman”.

He added:

“This has devastated the lives of Naomi’s family and nothing I can do in this case will help heal or…fill the chasm of loss that they must feel and will continue to feel for the rest of their lives.

“Young men in fast cars must understand that they drive lethal weapons.”

Elliott, of Anteforth View, Gilling West, received a two-year jail sentence but will only serve half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence. He was banned from driving for three years.

Business Breakfast: Ripon motor group announces refurbishment and recruitment drive

There’s not long to go until the Stray Ferret Business Club’s breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

A Ripon motor group has announced plans to refurbish its site and recruit 10 new staff.

Lloyd Land Rover, which is based at Hutton Bank in the city, is set to redevelop its branch with a new building and modernised facilities.

As part of the move, the group is set to hire new staff and hold a recruitment evening on Thursday, July 27.

Positions will include sales executives, service advisors, a parts manager and parts advisor and various technician roles including master technician, prep technician and apprentice parts and technician roles.

Mark Redding, head of business of Lloyd Land Rover Ripon, said:

“This is going to be an exciting two years for Lloyd Ripon, as we will see a complete redevelopment of the whole site, with a new building and modernisation of all facilities.

“With the expansion of the site, there will be new opportunities that will take the staff numbers from just over 60 to eventually over 70.”

For more information on the recruitment event, contact the Lloyd Motor Group by visiting its website here.

Harrogate BID plans town floral celebration

A Harrogate business group is set to host a floral celebration in the town this summer.

Called the Floral Summer of Celebration, the event will be hosted by Harrogate BID and include flowers from local florist Helen James Flowers.

It will be held between July 21 and August 4 this year.

Helen James Florist on Station Parade.

The event is set to include prop displays from EPH Creative, an interactive floral trail and shop window competition. Harry Satloka, who hosts regular free walking tours in the town centre, will take guests around the floral installations during the week.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are proud to be recognised as a finalist for the Britain in Bloom UK finals, especially as we are the only town in Yorkshire that made it through to this stage in the competition.”

The installations will be designed to celebrate multi-national cooperation, in particular the twinning of Harrogate with other towns such as Luchon in France, Montecatini in Italy, Barrie in Canada and Wellington in New Zealand.

In addition, the special links that Harrogate fosters with Switzerland and Japan will also be feature.

Ripon Co-op reopens with fresh look and new facilities

A Co-op in Ripon has re-opened with a new look and food and drink facilities after a lengthy refurbishment.

The store on Clotherholme Road, which includes a post office, now serves coffee, ice-cream and hot snacks to take away.

The Co-op is popular with pupils from nearby Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy Ripon.

It is run by Southern Co-op, which operates about 200 Co-ops as well as other convenience stores and funeral homes.

The company said in a statement:

“The store was closed for three weeks in order to have a full refurbishment as it was looking a little dated.

“The store now has a completely new look featuring energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting throughout to help use less energy. The post office remains offering the same services as before.

“The store continues to stock a delicious range of Co-op products. There is also an improved range of food and drink to go including coffee, ice-cream and hot food.”

Council refuses plans for 80-bed care home in Ripon

Plans to build an 80-bed care home close to the centre of Ripon have been refused by North Yorkshire Council.

Muller Property Group proposed to demolish industrial buildings at T&R Williamson business park to make way for a new care facility.

Eight units at the site are currently occupied and let to various tenants and the development would have resulted in the loss of between 12-15 jobs.

However, the developer argued that 70 social care jobs would have been created through the scheme.

Access to the site, which is next to the city’s Aldi supermarket and near to the fire and police station, was proposed off Stonebridgegate.

According to plans attached to the application, the developer hoped to deliver a “high-quality” care home on the site with a design that better reflects the surroundings than what is currently there.

Besides the bedrooms, the plans also included several shared living rooms, a hair and nail salon for residents, a cafe and 31 car parking spaces.

The developer added in documents:

“The development will improve the appearance of the site and will provide a use which is much more in-keeping with the residential character of the area.”

But the NHS told the council GP practices in Ripon did not have the capacity to accommodate the additional residents that would arise from the care home. It asked for a contribution of £40,478 to go towards local health services.

Despite the creation of new social care jobs, the council said in its refusal notice that it objected to the proposed loss of employment space due to the demolition of the industrial buildings.

The refusal notice said:

“The proposed development would result in the loss of existing employment floorspace.

“No evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that the site has been actively marketed for employment use, that continued use of the site for employment is no longer viable, that the existing businesses remaining on the site could relocate to comparable suitable premises in the local area, or that alternative employment uses cannot be accommodated on the site.”

The council also said the size of the building would harm the Ripon Conservation Area, the facility would not provide “satisfactory living conditions” for residents and insufficient information had been provided
regarding the potential implications of gypsum-related ground stability issues.

The developer can appeal the decision.

Man wanted after burglary in Ripon street

Police in Ripon are appealing for help to trace a man they want to speak to in connection with a series of incidents in the city.

A man was seen trying door handles on Wemyss Road around 3am on Wednesday, May 31.

After one door was found to be unlocked, a set of car keys was stolen. A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the man in the image or know where is can be found.”

Anyone who can provide information should email gareth.skelton@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two, and ask for Gareth Skelton.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting reference number 12230098370.

Ripon man jailed after attempting to stab Wetherspoon’s bar worker

A notorious Ripon man tried to stab a Wetherspoon’s bar worker with a table knife after warning police that he was “going to kill somebody”.

John Flannagan, 38, was causing trouble at The Unicorn pub in Ripon Market Place and when a brave bar stewardess tried to calm him down, he lunged at her with a knife, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Kelly Clarke said the named bar worker had been trying to reason with Flannagan, but he responded by picking up two pint glasses and smashing one of them on the bar.

Ms Clark added:

“She stepped back and he picked up a knife and fork from a table in front of her.

“He turned back to face the bar and started shouting at staff and members of the public and walked along the bar and threw the pint glass, causing it to smash on top of the bar.”

Flannagan, knife in hand, then lunged at the bar worker and made a “haymaker-style” swipe at her with the blade, which missed.

Ms Clarke said:

“This was an attempt, say the prosecution, to stab [the named bar stewardess].”

‘If you don’t come and get me, I’m going to kill somebody’

In the run-up to the incident, police received a call from Flannagan who said he was in Ripon city centre being followed in the street by “a man with a dog” and that he was scared.

After making the call, Flannagan went into the Wetherspoon’s bar at the Unicorn Hotel and began shouting at people inside the pub, telling them to “leave me alone”.

Ms Clarke said:

“Staff were concerned and contacted police.”

Flannagan left the pub and tried to get in a taxi, but he was turned away by the driver due to his bizarre behaviour. Having been rebuffed by the cabbie, Flannagan called police again.

Ms Clarke said:

“He could be heard shouting incoherently [during the call] and [there were] periods of silence.”

Flannagan told the operator:

“You need to come and get me. I’m already on bail and going to jail. If you don’t come and get me, I’m going to kill somebody.”

York Crown Court.

He then went back inside The Unicorn and pushed past a man at the bar who didn’t react and walked away. The confrontation with the bar stewardess then followed.

The terrifying incident was brought to an end by an off-duty police officer who ran to the bar and tackled Flannagan to the ground.

The officer, who was with his wife and family, restrained Flannagan until uniformed police arrived to arrest him.

Wetherspoon’s staff members said they were “extremely frightened that things would escalate” and feared that someone was going to be seriously injured “or worse”. One staff member said it was the worst piece of violence they had ever seen at a pub.

Flannagan, of Gallows Hill, was charged with affray and threatening a person with a blade in a public place. He admitted the offences which happened at about 10.15pm on June 17.

He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

Ms Clarke said Flannagan had 59 previous offences on his record including violence, public disorder and carrying offensive weapons, namely a knife and a metal bar.

At the time of the incident in Ripon, he was on an 18-month community order imposed in December last year for battery.

Defence barrister Susannah Proctor said Flannagan had a psychotic disorder and was bipolar. His mental health conditions had been exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse.

She said that at the time of his latest offences he was “acutely unwell” but acknowledged the “anxiety and fear” he caused to members of the public.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told Flannagan his “bizarre and psychotic” behaviour could have resulted in tragedy inside the pub.

He added:

“You are someone with a long history of mental health problems… but your behaviour and your criminal offending appears to have become worse over the last five or six years.

“The brandishing of, and threatening with, weapons is something that calls for an immediate prison sentence.”

Flannagan was handed a 16-month jail sentence but will only spend half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.

Row over Ripon ‘Tory puppet’ councillor continues

The row over Ripon independent councillor Andrew Williams’ decision to align himself with the Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council continued at a meeting last night.

North Yorkshire’s Conservatives recently revealed that three independent councillors have formed a new Conservatives and Independents group to avoid the risk of the party losing overall control.

One of the councillors to join the alliance is Ripon Minster & Moorside councillor Andrew Williams, who was elected as a Ripon Independent in May 2022 with 1,453 votes.

Cllr Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last week that he made the decision in the best interests of the city and to ensure stability on the council.

But the move has not been popular with everyone in the city as Liberal Democrat councillor for Ripon Ure Bank & Spa, Barbara Brodigan, then accused Cllr Williams of being a “Tory puppet” and under the control of council leader Carl Les.

Both councillors also sit on Ripon City Council and at the town hall yesterday evening Cllr Brodigan argued that opposition parties already offer a stable alternative to the Conservatives before taking a veiled swipe at Cllr Williams’ decision.

Cllr Brodigan said:

“All opposition groups — Lib Dems, Labour, Greens — on North Yorkshire work together regularly. That’s stability.

“On a personal level I was elected as a Liberal Democrat by my residents and I remain so. I sit in my group and I vote with my Liberal Democrat colleagues.”

In response, Cllr Williams referred to the recent resignations of Harrogate councillor Michael Schofield from the Liberal Democrats and Scarborough councillor Tony Randerson from Labour and said opposition parties “seem unable to put together an alternative, constructive administration”.

He added:

“I was born here, educated here and have resided here all my life. The decision I took to join the Independents and Conservative group is to ensure a stable administration for North Yorkshire and to get a fair deal in Ripon.

“I remain independent and can vote on every issue that comes before North Yorkshire Council according to my conscience and will always do so. I have not and never will be a Tory puppet.

“Cllr Brodigan, I can assure you that nobody has their hand up my backside, the least of all the leader of the council.”

Road closed after collision in central Ripon

A main road through Ripon is closed this morning as emergency services deal with a collision.

North Yorkshire Police, along with ambulance crews and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services, are at the scene of the two-car collision on Bondgate Green between Ripon Bowling Club and Ripon Builders Merchants.

The road is currently blocked and vehicles are being diverted onto other routes while the scene is cleared.

There is not yet any information about whether anyone has been injured.

The Stray Ferret will post further updates as they become available.

Woman gets trapped up tree after escaping cows near Ripon

Firefighters were called to help a woman last night who got trapped up a tree near Ripon after escaping cows.

The woman climbed the tree “to escape a herd of cows that had surrounded her while walking through a field”, according to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report.

The female, who has not been named, was with her dog at the time.

The incident report said Ripon firefighters were summoned to Ure Bank Terrace at Sharow at 6.38pm.

It added:

“Crews moved the cows away from the tree allowing the walker and her dog to leave the field uninjured.”

But that wasn’t the end of the firefighters’ mission. The incident report added:

“On returning to the fire engine crews discovered a vehicle that had gone into a ditch whilst turning round.

“Crews assisted in removing the vehicle from the ditch using crew power and vehicle wedges.”

Business Breakfast: Grantley Hall appoints new general manager

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Grantley Hall near Ripon has appointed a new general manager.

Nuno César de Sá, who previously worked for the Mandarin Oriental group, has joined the hotel after previous manager Andrew McPherson stepped down.

On his appointment, he said:

“I am honoured to become part of the Grantley Hall family. I have been fascinated by what has been achieved at Grantley Hall over the last six years.

“Now that I have been appointed as general manager, it is incredible that I will become an integral part of its future.”

Richard Sykes, managing director at Grantley Hall, added:

“We are thrilled to have Nuno on board as our new general manager.

“As a family-owned business, we understand that out people are the most important element of the hotel as they implement the magic of Grantley Hall to our guests and as Nuno shares many of the Grantley values, we know that he will be a perfect fit.”

Women’s co-working event to be held in Harrogate

A women’s business group is set to host a coffee and co-working event in Harrogate this month.

Women’s Business Club UK will be hosting the session at Manahatta off Parliament Street on July 21 from 11am until 2pm.

The group described the event as a chance for women to “have a natter and settle in for a morning of co-working”.

The co-working session is free, but pre-booking is essential.

For more information on the event and to book a place, visit the Eventbrite page here.

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