A parish council chair says he feared for his life throughout an assault by a businessman in a dispute over chicken nests in a quiet village, a courtroom heard.
The incident took place within the North Yorkshire village of Church Fenton, the place native resident Andrew Mason, 63, was attacked by Chris Makin, 65, who tried to pull him by his garments and hair in entrance of a tree-cutting cherry-picker. Harrogate Magistrates’ Court was proven cell phone footage of the incident on Thursday.
Prosecutors described how Makin had initially poked Mr Mason within the face, knocking off his glasses, earlier than throwing him to the ground in a headlock. Prosecutor Michael Smith mentioned: “The defendant scooped Mr Mason’s hair into his arms and tried to tug him throughout the street by his hair.”
In the video, Mr Mason could be seen mendacity on the bottom shouting “get off me” and “the police are on their approach, you lunatic”, whereas additionally calling Makin an “ignorant bully”. Mr Smith informed the courtroom that Makin appeared to instruct his workmen to maneuver the cherry picker ahead whereas Mr Mason was nonetheless mendacity in entrance of it.
In a sufferer private assertion learn to the courtroom, Mr Mason mentioned he thought “my life is in peril” at that second. The chairman of Church Fenton Parish Council, in his assertion, expressed his shock at being “may very well be viciously attacked in broad daylight within the village I like and the place I’ve introduced up my youngsters”.
The courtroom was knowledgeable that Mr Mason had been coping with quite a lot of stress-related points for the reason that attack, resulting in sleepless nights. He additionally talked about in his assertion his shock on the offensive language utilized by Makin in entrance of a number of witnesses.
The prosecutor defined to the magistrates how the incident occurred on April 4, 2023, when a gaggle of native residents gathered to halt contractors working for Makin, who owns Leeds East Airport close by, from “crowning” bushes. Mr Smith said their concern for the birds and that Makin didn’t have permission to take away nests or shut the street.
Police had beforehand been referred to as and suggested Makin to stop work, however by the point the assault took place, the officers had departed. Mr Smith knowledgeable the three magistrates that the defendant used “unreasonable and pointless” drive after Mr Mason “positioned himself underneath the cherry-picker” to forestall it from reducing any extra bushes.
The prosecutor said that the defendant confirmed no regret. Makin, from Micklefield, North Yorkshire, was discovered responsible of assault by beating at an earlier trial. On Thursday, Phil Morris, chair of the bench, described the assault as of a “persistent and extended nature” and fined him £4,800. He said this was 250% of his weekly revenue.
Makin was additionally ordered to pay a £1,920 surcharge, £775 prices and £684 compensation to Mr Mason. Richard Wright KC, defending, mentioned his consumer had “discovered a salutary lesson” and informed the courtroom he had made a “large contribution to the GDP of the UK”.
Mr Wright mentioned Makin was “used to getting on with issues and getting a job executed within the public curiosity. He wished to get this job executed however went about it the incorrect approach.”
Speaking outdoors the courtroom, Mr Mason mentioned: “We reside in a beautiful, quiet, little rural village in North Yorkshire and I used to be happening to the neighborhood store to assist my spouse. I’ve been a parish councillor for 15 years and I imagine in society and I imagine in civil order and that broke down on that Sunday morning.”
“And it broke down, I imagine, as a result of there’s a bully who was there who wished to do what he wished to do, no matter anyone getting in his approach and I believe that is incorrect. It was terrifying to be slumped beneath the cherry picker with a person who I believed was uncontrolled, instructing the cherry picker operator to drive excessive of me. It’s chilling. There’s no two methods about it.”
Mr Mason mentioned: “During the trial, one of many witnesses mentioned that he believed that he witnessed what seemed to be an tried homicide, as a result of had that cherry picker moved ahead two toes then I’d have died. I believe his behaviour was scurrilous, I believe he is a bully, and I believe justice has been served. His good identify now not exists.”
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