Parish councillor 'dragged by his hair' as furious village row erupts over birds nests

A parish council chairman was left fearing for his life after an "out of control" businessman attacked him during a dispute over bird nests in a quiet village, a court heard.

The incident took place in the North Yorkshire village of Church Fenton and involved local resident and parish councillor Andrew Mason, 63, and businessman Chris Makin, 65. Harrogate Magistrates Court was shown mobile phone footage of Makin trying to drag Mr Mason by his clothes and hair in front of a tree-cutting cherry-picker.

Prosecutors described how Makin had initially poked Mr Mason in the face, knocking off his glasses, before throwing him to the floor in a headlock. Prosecutor Michael Smith said: "The defendant scooped Mr Mason's hair into his hands and tried to pull him across the road by his hair."

In the video, Mr Mason can be seen lying on the floor shouting "get off me" and "the police are on their way, you lunatic", while also calling Makin an "ignorant bully". The court heard that Makin even instructed his workmen to move the cherry picker forward while Mr Mason was lying in front of it.

In a victim personal statement, Mr Mason said he thought "my life is in peril" at that moment.

The chairman of the parish council expressed his shock that he "could be viciously attacked in broad daylight in the village I love and where I have brought up my children". The court heard how the incident unfolded on April 4, 2023, when a group of locals attempted to halt contractors working for Makin, owner of the nearby Leeds East Airport, from "crowning" trees.

Mr Smith explained they were worried about the birds and that Makin did not have permission to remove nests or close the road. Police had been called earlier and had advised Makin to cease work, but by the time the assault occurred, the officers had departed.

The prosecutor said the defendant showed no remorse. Makin, from Micklefield, North Yorkshire, was previously found guilty of assault by beating.

On Thursday, Phil Morris, chair of the bench, described it as an assault of a "persistent and prolonged nature" and fined him £4,800, which is 250 percent of his weekly income.

Makin was also ordered to pay a £1,920 surcharge, £775 in costs, and £684 compensation to Mr Mason.

Richard Wright KC, defending, said his client had "learned a salutary lesson" and told the court he had made a "massive contribution to the UK's GDP". Mr Wright stated that Makin was "used to getting on with things and getting a job done in the public interest."

"He wanted to get this job done but went about it the wrong way."

Mr Mason, speaking after the verdict, said: "We live in a lovely, quiet, little rural village in North Yorkshire and I was going down to the community shop to help my wife. I've been a parish councillor for 15 years and I believe in society and I believe in civil order and that broke down on that Sunday morning.

"And it broke down, I believe, because there is a bully who was there who wanted to do what he wanted to do, regardless of anybody getting in his way and I think that's wrong."

"It was terrifying to be slumped underneath the cherry picker with a man who I believed was out of control, instructing the cherry picker operator to drive over the top of me. It's chilling. There's no two ways about it."

Reflecting on the trial testimonies, Mr Mason added: "During the trial, one of the witnesses said that he believed that he witnessed what appeared to be an attempted murder, because had that cherry picker moved forward two feet then I would have died.

"I think his behaviour was scurrilous, I think he's a bully, and I think justice has been served. His good name no longer exists."