A rogue builder hooked on gambling and cocaine stole prized jewellery from a Harrogate couple who entrusted him with the key to their house.

Sam Brotherston, 32, from Hampsthwaite, was contracted to renovate the couple’s home on Beckwith Road and was left to his own devices while the victims were out at work, York Crown Court heard.

Soon enough, the couple, who had pinned their hopes on Brotherston converting the property into their dream home, started noticing money and jewellery going missing from an upstairs bedroom, said prosecutor Sam Roxborough.

He said the couple were quoted over £13,000 for the work including building materials and labour.

Brotherston, who was self-employed, asked for £4,289 to buy materials such as a door and steel joist for work which was not only never completed, but left the couple with an open sewer in their kitchen and demolished walls. 

To add insult to injury, he never bought the materials and instead spent it on his rampant gambling and cocaine habit.

Initially trusting of Brotherston, the couple handed him the money and he began work on the property in March last year when the named victims gave him a key to their house.

But on March 18, just nine days into the job, the female victim noticed £20 was missing from her purse. Just under two weeks later, she noticed that more cash had disappeared while she was away from home.

Brotherston had helped himself to £80 in total, as well as two white gold rings, which had also been kept in the bedroom. 

The victim did her own investigatory work by visiting pawnbrokers in Harrogate to see if Brotherston had tried to sell her jewellery. She found one of her rings up for sale in a local jeweller’s.

Mr Roxborough said:

“Unfortunately, one of the rings was scrapped by the jeweller’s.”

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Police recovered the other ring when they turned up at the jeweller’s a few days later.

Staff told officers that Brotherston had sold three other gold and silver rings at the jewellers. He stole those pieces from a friend while carrying out work at her home in Brunswick Drive, Harrogate.

The victim, who was named in court, didn’t want to press charges because she was a friend of Brotherston’s family, but he admitted stealing her rings. 

Mr Roxborough said the Beckwith Road couple were devastated to hear that Brotherston, of Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite, had used the money deposited into his account to place bets “at various betting establishments”.

He was arrested following an investigation and charged with burglary, two counts of theft and one of fraud. He admitted all four offences and appeared for sentence today.

‘Sick to the stomach’

The female victim of the Beckwith Road offences said she and her husband had trusted Brotherston, only for him to steal from them on three separate occasions over a period of nearly a month.

She said the rings were of sentimental value and she had been left feeling “violated, scared, shocked and saddened”, and she was now struggling to sleep.

One of the rings, which was never recovered, belonged to her husband’s grandmother and one was a wedding gift. The other was a present for her 30^th birthday.

She said:

“Seeing the rings for sale in the pawnbrokers was shocking and left me feeling sick to the stomach.”

She was now scared to be alone in her home and she and her husband had changed all the locks and installed security cameras.

She said that Brotherston’s shoddy, “half-completed” work had left them with an open sewer and that walls had been knocked down which would need rebuilding. Wires were “hanging out of the walls” and the living room was left a mess. 

She added:

“This work was going to complete our dream of providing a lovely family home for my young children to grow up in.

“This is devastating. It’s going to be hard for me to trust anybody again.”

She and her husband were now faced with spending the same amount of money again to put right what Brotherston had ruined. 

‘Damaging acts of dishonesty’

Defence barrister Emma Williams said that Brotherston, a father-of-one, had been caught up in a “gambling and drug-use cycle” but that his behaviour was “out of character”. The offences had led to the break-up of the relationship with his partner. 

Judge Sean Morris described Brotherston’s offences as “very mean and hurtful and damaging acts of dishonesty”.

He told Brotherston: 

“You were snorting your way through cocaine bought with £10,000 worth of gambling winnings. No doubt having blown all that, you then decided that you needed (the victims’) money to carry on snorting cocaine and enjoying the lifestyle.

“At the same time as you were pilfering hard-earned money from that couple and not doing the work that was required, you were creeping around their house going into their bedroom and you stole some rings that had real sentimental value.

“That’s had an awful effect on the lady of the house. They will have been left in a shocking situation and that is all down to your greed and dishonesty.”

Mr Morris said the offences were “too mean” and “appalling” for there to be anything other than an immediate jail sentence.

Brotherston was jailed for 13 months. 

A former Harrogate Army Foundation College instructor has been sentenced after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Cpl Simon Bartram stood trial at Catterick Court Martial Centre in January.

He was found guilty of eight counts of disgraceful conduct of a cruel or indecent kind and one count of sexual assault.

The offences took place over a nine-month period between 2020 and 2021.

He was sentenced to 20 months detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre and five years on the sex offenders’ register.

Cpl Bartram was also dismissed from the armed forces.

The Stray Ferret approached the Ministry of Defence for a response to the case, but it did not respond.

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Police have arrested a wanted Harrogate man.

Officers issued an appeal for the whereabouts of a 30-year-old man, who was believed to be in either the Harrogate or Knaresborough area.

The force has since confirmed that he has been arrested in the Blackpool area on suspicion of offences connected to a serious assault.

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Police have arrested two men on suspicion of conspiring to steal vehicles in Harrogate.

Officers acting on intelligence stopped a grey Seat Leon on Leeds Road near Pannal on Friday (February 24) at about 8pm after observing the men behaving suspiciously, North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today.

The statement said the suspects, both in their 30s, were getting out of the car and approaching other vehicles in Harrogate.

It added:

“Both occupants and the car itself were searched by officers, and a number of tools including pliers and screwdrivers were located. 

“As a result, both men – aged in their 30s and from Leeds – were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.”

Both men have been released on bail pending police enquiries.

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North Yorkshire Police has sought to reassure people that Harrogate does not have a worse problem with knife crime than other places.

Councillors questioned police about the issue last night after 17-year-old Seb Mitchell lost his life on Claro Road following an incident on February 19.

Rich Ogden, chief inspector at the force, told Harrogate Borough Council‘s overview and scrutiny commission the county was one of the safest in England. However, he added that the force continued to work with young people to educate them not to carry knives.

The meeting heard 98 knives have been dropped off at an amnesty bin in Dragon Road car park at Asda in Harrogate since it was installed in January.

When asked by Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the committee, whether Harrogate had a problem with knife crime, Ch Insp Ogden said:

“We are living in one of the safest counties in England and we must not forget that.

“Any incident involving a knife can end in tragedy.”

He added:

“I don’t see that Harrogate has a problem more than anywhere else.

“But it would be wrong of me to say that knives are prevalent on the streets. We’ve got to encourage people not to use knives and carry knives at any point. Particularly those who take knives out for their own protection.”

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Ch Insp Ogden added that a large amount of the knives that have been dropped off in the amnesty bin were household kitchen knives and that the facility helped the public to dispose of them safely.

Superintendent Teresa Lam told the committee:

“Even though we are considered the safest force area, we continually liaise with our counterparts across the country including London so that we are continually understanding what the trends and patterns are.”

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was initially charged with attempted murder on February 20. He is due to appear in court on March 14. Ch Insp Ogden told the meeting it was now a murder investigation.

A man has been released on bail following an alleged robbery and sexual assault in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police arrested a man in his 20s after an incident on Bogs Lane on Wednesday, February 15. Officers said a woman had sustained facial injuries.

Police have now confirmed that a man has been released on bail and inquiries are ongoing. No charges have been made.

After the incident, officers said people in the Bogs Lane area might see an increased police presence as investigations continue.

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Police have issued an appeal after an attempted house burglary on Bramham Drive in Jennyfields this week.

The incident happened on Monday between 2.15pm and 3pm.

Officers said “significant damage” was caused to the doors of the house, but the suspect failed to gain entry.

Police added that a driver of a dark coloured Seat Leon with a registration containing “70” was seen at the time of the attempted burglary.

The driver is described as a young white man with a round face, about 5ft 8in tall, with short dark hair and wearing a dark hoodie.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email elizabeth.parry@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2, and ask for Elizabeth Parry.

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

“Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230027326 when providing details.”

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Two drug dealers have been jailed after being caught with thousands of pounds worth of cocaine in Harrogate.

Angel Angelov and Tsonko Peev, both 25 and from Leeds, were sent to prison after pleading guilty to possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

On the afternoon of November 10 last year, officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite team, which tackles county lines drug dealing, stopped a vehicle on its way to Harrogate from Leeds.

The driver, Angelov, was searched, and found with 26 bags of cocaine in a mint tin and a lock knife.

Some of the cocaine seized by North Yorkshire Police.

As the investigation continued, officers stopped another vehicle on Leeds Road in Harrogate on December 5. Inside were Angelov and Peev. 

This time, Angelov was found with 20 bags of cocaine hidden in the lining of his coat, and a further 11 bags were found hidden by the handbrake.

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Both were charged and pleaded guilty at York Crown Court yesterday (February 7) to the offences.

Angelov was sentenced to five years and three months in prison. Meanwhile, Peev was jailed for two years and three months.

PC George Frost, from the Operation Expedite team, said: 

“Following a swift investigation, two drug dealers have been taken off the streets of Harrogate, along with thousands of pounds worth of Class A drugs.

“Dealers like Angelov and Peev seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of users and their addictions for their own selfish financial gain. The effects of drug dealing and drug use are felt far and wide, leading to violence, anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crime.

“I hope the people of Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire feel reassured by the result of the investigation and the jail sentences. We are committed to protecting the vulnerable in our communities, and are working night and day to keep drug dealers out of the area.”

A man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs after officers came across a crashed car in Ripon.

Shortly after 3pm yesterday, North Yorkshire Police officers on patrol near Lark Lane in Ripon located a red VW Golf car that had been involved in a collision and was on its roof.

A police statement today said:

“One of the occupants made off from the scene. Following a search of the area, officers located a large quantity of suspected cannabis and cocaine.

“The other occupant, a 19-year-old local man, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.”

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12230015627.

Police closed the road while the incident took place.

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North Yorkshire Police is investigating the “sudden and unexplained death” of a 77-year-old woman at a flat in Harrogate.

Officers were called to the property on Dene Park in Bilton at 2.49pm on Monday this week. Enquiries at the flat are still ongoing.

A 76-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the sudden death inquiry and released under investigation.

A police statement today added:

“At this stage, the cause of death remains unexplained.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room.

“If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Please quote refence number 12230013571 when providing details.”

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