Ripon builder cleared of attempted murder but guilty of wounding pub landlord after stabbing

A Ripon builder has been found not guilty of trying to murder a pub landlord but guilty of wounding with intent.

Gary Holdsworth, 52, plunged a knife into the neck of 44-year-old Michael Ryan outside the George & Dragon in the village of Melmerby, near Ripon.

As he stabbed the pub landlord “at least three times” in the car park, Mr Holdsworth said: “You’re gonna die – I’m going to kill you.”

Mr Ryan, who had only been running the pub on Main Street for a few months, was lying in a “pool of blood” as his partner and other pub-goers went to his aid, Leeds Crown Court heard.

He was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he underwent surgery to repair his neck wounds but mercifully survived.

Holdsworth, of The Paddock in Melmerby, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, carrying a knife and an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He denied the allegations and took the case to a trial which began last week and ended on Tuesday, August 4 when a jury found him not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of wounding with intent and carrying a blade.

His friend Radk Szatkowski, 41, of Main Street in Wath near Ripon, was found not guilty of a single count of affray.

The stabbing occurred late on the evening of December 4 last year after Holdsworth and Mr Szatkowski had gone to the George & Dragon to celebrate the latter’s 40th birthday.

It was alleged that Mr Szatkowski became “drunk and belligerent” and had an argument with Mr Ryan, ostensibly over the payment for a round of drinks near closing time.

Prosecutor Anne Richardson said that Mr Ryan, known as Mick, told Mr Szatkowski to get out of his pub, whereupon the two men argued as the landlord tried to escort him out.

Holdsworth followed them outside into the front car park where the heated exchange continued and a fight broke out between Mr Ryan and Mr Szatkowski at about 11.20pm.

Ms Richardson said that after some pushing and shoving, and punches being thrown by both men, Holdsworth came over and got on top of Mr Ryan’s back.

Holdsworth then took a “click” knife out of his pocket before repeatedly stabbing Mr Holdsworth in the neck.

As blood seeped from the landlord’s neck, two other men who had been drinking in the pub came running out after hearing a woman’s screams.

One of them split up the fight and dragged Mr Ryan back inside the pub where he applied pressure to his neck wound to stem the bleeding.

Mr Ryan’s panic-stricken partner Siri Wan Fawcett, who worked as a Thai chef at the pub made a desperate 999 call.

She told the operator in broken English that someone had “slashed his throat” and that there was “blood everywhere”.

An ambulance arrived and took the “badly injured” landlord to James Cook Hospital where Mr Ryan underwent surgery the following day to repair lacerations or wounds to his neck.

“One of the lacerations was deep and caused muscle damage and needed flushing out before all lacerations were sutured,” said Ms Richardson.

“The fact that Mr Ryan’s injuries were not life-threatening in the end, despite one of the injuries coming close to the main salivary gland, owes more to good luck than anything else.”

Ms Richardson said Holdsworth and Mr Szatkowski had earlier drunk a bottle of whisky, “amongst other things”, at another local pub - The George Country Inn, in the nearby village of Wath.

They turned up at the George & Dragon just before closing time when the argument between Mr Szatkowski and Mr Ryan spilled out into the car park.

Ms Richardson said that Holdsworth initially “appeared to be trying to pour oil on troubled waters” but then got involved himself and took out a knife which he used to stab Mr Ryan who was bleeding “profusely”.

Ms Richardson said that after the named male witness dragged Mr Ryan back into the pub and stemmed the bleeding with a towel or fleece jumper, Holdsworth and Mr Szatkowski went back inside to the toilets.

“Before leaving the pub for the final time, Mr Szatkowski said ‘sorry’,” she added.

As Holdsworth left the pub and passed the stricken landlord lying on the floor and bleeding out, he was heard to say “something along the lines of ‘you’re a xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx’ and ‘that’ll be a lesson learned’.

Police arrived at the scene and went in search of Holdsworth and Mr Szatkowski who appeared to have “gone in opposite directions”.

Holdsworth arrived at his home near the pub at about 11.30pm and Mr Szatkowski arrived there shortly afterwards.

Police, who had been given witness accounts by people at the pub, went to Holdsworth’s home in the early hours of the following morning and arrested him and Mr Szatkowski.

Both men were quizzed by police later that day when Holdsworth said he had been “very drunk” and only had a “hazy recollection of events” after leaving the first pub, the George Country Inn, as he had shared a bottle of whisky there with Mr Szatkowski and then had five more pints at the George & Dragon.

Holdsworth claimed that Mr Ryan had been “heavy-handed” with Mr Szatkowski and that he had gone outside “to ensure that no harm came to Radk”.

“He denied using a knife and indeed said he had not seen a knife at all,” said Ms Richardson.

Holdsworth, having been found guilty of wounding with intent, was remanded in custody until sentence on a date to be fixed.