A Harrogate man has been jailed for insulting magistrates and kicking court furniture.
Samuel Hughes, 46, of Swarcliffe Road, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday, November 17.
Hughes had previously been found guilty of assaulting a named woman in October 2021 — a charge he denied.
He received an 18-week suspended prison sentence in May last year, and was required to attend a building better relationships appointment in July this year.
But he failed to do so and when he returned to court last week, he was charged with “wilfully insulting the magistrates”, according to court records.
The records added he used “foul and abusive language to the bench upon sentence being pronounced”.
He also kicked court furniture and attempted to resist handcuffs being put on and was committed to jail for four weeks.
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Man with ‘flagrant disregard for people’ jailed for crimes in Harrogate
A man has been jailed for a year for a string of offences in Harrogate, including threatening to kill a policeman.
Christopher Layton, 36, admitted carrying out the threat at Harrogate police station on June 7 this year.
He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for that offence when he appeared in front of magistrates in York on Tuesday.
Layton, of no fixed abode, received other consecutive custodial sentences for further crimes.
They included assaulting the same police officer and assaulting a man on Parliament Street in Harrogate on June 18. He also threatened police and paramedics.
Layton, who was subject to supervision requirements imposed after a previous jail sentence, also pleaded guilty to threatening a man on Queens Road in Harrogate on June 7, which court documents said “was motivated by hostility towards persons who are of a particular sexual orientation”.
The documents also said the offences were so serious because “the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property” and involved attacks on emergency workers.
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Harrogate man jailed for ‘flagrant disregard for people and their property’
Harrogate man Cieran Bamford has been jailed for 16 weeks.
Bamford, 31, of Knaresborough Road, pleaded guilty to making threats to a named woman who feared violence would be used against her when he appeared in court on Tuesday.
Court documents state the offence was “so serious because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property”.
Bamford was given a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim until April 2028.
Magistrates in York also ordered him to pay £154 to victim services.
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Harrogate woman jailed for 10 weeks
A woman from Harrogate has been jailed for 10 weeks for failing to comply with a community order.
Claire Read, 28, of Fairfax Avenue, admitted the offence when she appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday.
Read received a suspended sentence, which included a community order, on September 23 last year.
As part of this, she was required to attend an appointment on February 15 but failed to do so.
Court documents say Read was jailed for ‘wilful and persistent failure to comply with the requirements of a community order’.
The documents added her guilty plea was taken into account when the sentence was imposed.
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Man accused of sex offences at Harrogate train station
A man has appeared in court on two counts of groping men at Harrogate train station.
Jason Darren Graham Wilson, 51, was charged with inappropriately touching a man at the station on April 29 and May 24 last year.
He is also accused of the same crime, which is contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, at York train station on June 20 last year.
Mr Wilson, of Hope Street, York, denies all charges and following his appearance at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday will stand trial on May 17.
He was remanded on bail on condition that he does not enter Harrogate or York train stations unless it is within 30 minutes of a train he intends to use, and he must have a valid travel ticket.
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Harrogate girl, 14, to be electronically tagged after latest assault
A 14-year-old Harrogate girl is to be electronically monitored after being found guilty of another assault.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to beating a female when she appeared before North Yorkshire Youth Court in Harrogate on Friday.
She was given a three-month curfew to stay at a named address between 8pm and 7am daily until May 16. The court ruled the curfew was to be electronically monitored.
Magistrates also ordered her not to contact two named individuals and to avoid a particular street, as well as given a £100 fine.
The youth rehabilitation order replaced a previous order issued by magistrates to the same girl on January 27 this year for four counts of assault, one of which was on a police officer, and two counts of arson.
The arson attacks involved setting fire to commercial-sized bins belonging to Primark on Oxford Street in Harrogate and Harrogate Borough Council on Oxford Place in Harrogate on May 23 and May 26 last year respectively.
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Homeless man admits theft at two Harrogate hairdressers
A homeless man has admitted committing theft at two Harrogate town centre shops on the same morning this week.
Anthony Fraser, 37, pleaded guilty to stealing products worth £380 from hair and beauty salon Hart & Hart on Commercial Street on Monday.
He also admitted taking products of an unknown value from the nearby barbers shop belonging to Nathan Cosgrove.
Fraser, who gave his address as Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, appeared before magistrates in York yesterday.
He was remanded on bail until February 10, when he is due to be sentenced.
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Man jailed for two-month fraud spree at Harrogate and York hotels
A man has been jailed for embarking on a two-month fraud spree at hotels in Harrogate and York at the end of last year.
Parmpareet Singh-Pooni, of no fixed address, admitted two offences at the Crowne Plaza on King’s Road in Harrogate when he appeared before magistrates in York on Monday.
He pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining accommodation, food and drinks by claiming he was called Nikko Singh and not paying for them between November 3 and 6.
Singh-Pooni also admitted trying the same ruse at the Crowne Plaza on either November 23 and 24.
He pleaded guilty to stealing £140 cash from behind the reception at the Dean Court hotel in York on December 17 and defrauding Malmaison in York by giving another false name and not paying for food and drink between December 27 and 31.
He was jailed for 10 weeks, with court documents saying he was jailed because of the number of offences, his record and due to the fact he was on recall.
Singh-Pooni was also ordered to pay compensation totalling £1,083 to the Crowne Plaza, £140 to the Dean Court Hotel and £452 to Malmaison.
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Law firms collaborate to keep justice system moving and meet growing demand for making wills
Law firms across the Harrogate district are collaborating in an unprecedented way in order to meet changing demands during the coronavirus crisis.
Harrogate and District Law Society has reported a rise in demand for wills and powers of attorney, as people see the worrying news of more deaths each day.
Solicitors are also trying to keep routine work moving during the crisis, including dealing with emergency applications to family courts and processing house purchases.
Georgina Parkin, president of The Harrogate and District Law Society and managing director of Truth Legal Solicitors, said: “Over the years, lawyers in this area have always collaborated.
“During these unprecedented times, I am pleased to report that lawyers are collaborating to far higher level than I have known, all in the best interests of their clients. Once coronavirus is defeated, my hope – and my expectation – is that this collegiate attitude will continue.”
As the coronavirus has unfolded, lawyers have been sharing useful updates, such as changing court opening hours or ways of working, including hearings using video conferencing software.
On behalf of the society, Ms Parkin thanked staff and judges at Harrogate Justice Centre, which is continuing to deal with cases, as well as to police, prison officers, social workers, and postal and delivery staff who are keeping the process of justice going. Meanwhile, a litigation trial was held by video conference for the first time last week, while family courts are responding quickly to emergency applications during the crisis.
With many solicitors working from home and juggling the pressures of balancing home life and casework, especially with clients distressed by the situation, Ms Parkin said the law society was offering additional support for members’ mental health.
She added: “In Harrogate and district, the rule of law is alive and well even during these trying times. The solicitors in our region are adapting to these challenging times and continue to provide their clients with an excellent level of service.”