Harrogate woman jailed after shocking wine bottle attack in town centre

A young woman has been jailed for seven months after a court was shown shocking video footage of her attacking a man with a wine bottle in Harrogate town centre.
CCTV footage captured Jasmine Newby, 20, from Harrogate, waving the bottle around as she chased the man through the street.CCTV footage captured Jasmine Newby, 20, from Harrogate, waving the bottle around as she chased the man through the street.
CCTV footage captured Jasmine Newby, 20, from Harrogate, waving the bottle around as she chased the man through the street.

Drug deaths double in Harrogate, new stats showCCTV footage captured Jasmine Newby, 20, from Harrogate, waving the bottle around as she chased the man through the street.

Newby struck the man on the arm with the bottle, causing the glass to smash, then threw the smashed bottle towards him, York Crown Court heard.

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The assault led to judge Simon Hickey stating how: “The public are tired of violence in Harrogate town centre.”

Prosecutor Rob Galley said Newby flew into a drunken rage at about 7pm on June 7 after getting into an argument with the named man on Cambridge Road near McDonald’s.

The victim was “trying to diffuse the situation and was walking away”, but Newby handed her bag to a friend and ran after him, clutching the bottle by its neck and repeatedly trying to hit him with the weapon as he tried to get away. The blow that struck him caused a 3cm cut to his arm. Another man intervened and tried to restrain Newby, who was “punching out” at the victim, added Mr Galley.

Police caught up with Newby in Cold Bath Road where she screamed, swore and even spat at officers as they tried to restrain her. “She kicked out and was trying to bite (one of the officers),” said Mr Galley.

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In the ensuing mayhem, police had to draw out a Taser to bring another man under control. The incident occurred while Newby was still under investigation for a previous incident in the same area three months earlier.

That incident occurred at about 5.45am on March 2 when police were called out to reports of an “altercation or fight” involving about eight people near McDonald’s. An officer found Newby slumped in the doorway of McDonald’s, said Mr Galley.

Large quantity of jewellery with great sentimental value stolen in Harrogate burglary“She was screaming and shouting and appeared to have some blood around her mouth,” he added.

Newby began kicking out and swearing at one of the officers as he tried to restrain her. Newby was charged with possessing an offensive weapon, namely the wine bottle, using threatening words or behaviour and two counts of resisting a police constable.

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She admitted the offences and appeared for sentence last week. The court heard she had previous convictions for battery, obstructing a police officer, drink-driving, shoplifting and being drunk and disorderly.

Richard Reed, for Newby, said his client “would be the first to accept that this boorish, drunken and unpleasant behaviour is not going to be tolerated by the courts."

He added: “She is profoundly sorry for her behaviour and accepts that she undoubtedly has a problem with alcohol, which she is trying to address.”

He said that Newby, whom he described as intelligent, had come to a “turning point” in her life and had found work as a supervisor at a bar in the town centre. He claimed that the man who was attacked with the wine bottle had made some “unpleasant and derogatory remarks” towards Newby who “snapped (and) lost her self-control."

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But judge Simon Hickey told Newby she had a “worrying streak within you”.

“You have a drink problem and here you are, drunk again (in the CCTV footage), causing mayhem in the middle of Harrogate,” he added.

He said the wine bottle was a “potentially-devastating” weapon and Newby’s offences were so serious that only an immediate jail sentence could follow, notwithstanding the fact she would lose her job.

Newby sobbed as she was led down to the cells by prison officers.