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Former daily editor cleared over ‘road rage’ assault charges

A former regional daily editor has been acquitted by a court over so-called ‘road rage’ charges.

Keen cyclist Harry Blackwood, who edited the Hartlepool Mail for three and a half years, was held in custody for more than 10 hours after an altercation with a motorist in Billingham, County Durham, in October last year.

He was found not guilty at Teesside Magistrates’ Court of common assault and threatening behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress at a hearing on Tuesday.

Robert Moore, prosecuting, said Mr Blackwood had grabbed motorist David Walker’s arm, causing bruising, which amounted to common assault.

Harry Blackwood outside court after the hearing

Harry Blackwood outside court after the hearing

Mr Walker claimed that Mr Blackwood had gesticluated to him after being tooted over claims he was swerving on the road.

The motorist told the court: “He just said ‘I’m going to kill you, you f***ing piece of scum’.

“He was trying to get in my car. That was when he made a bruise on my arm.”

Both Mr Walker and Mr Blackwood called the police after the former drove off, and police attended when the latter was seen on the road near the former’s home.

Mr Blackwood, who was on the road by chance, became angry when questioned by PC James Grieves.

PC Grieves said Mr Blackwood had his fists clenched and began recording on his mobile phone while swearing.

But Mr Blackwood’s own account described Mr Walker has having driven past him at high speed with his hand down on the car horn.

Mr Walker had stopped 100 yards ahead of him and reversed towards him twice.

Mr Blackwood, whose editorship of the Mail ended in 2003 amid a row with then Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson, admitted swearing in front of the policeman but denied harassing him.

Chairman of the bench Gareth Hicks found in Mr Blackwood’s favour, describing his account as “forceful, clear and consistent” while Mr Walker had “an arrogant stance and was evasive when cross-examined.”

PC Grieves’ account was clear but there were “some inconsistencies.”

Outside the court the Northern Echo reported Mr Blackwood as saying he was locked up for 10 and a half hours by police and serious questions needed to be asked.

He added: “The worst thing was my family, what it did to them. I knew I had done nothing wrong, but my family have had to suffer this.”

8 comments

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  • June 3, 2015 at 3:38 pm
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    Cycling…it used to be such a safe, genteel activity. Not today. Not on these hellish roads….

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  • June 3, 2015 at 4:13 pm
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    It’s at times like this you realise what a reasonably quaint country England still is.

    “The prosecution claim he grabbed his arm, causing some bruising, after the other party had gesticulated to him.”

    It’s like mid 90s South Central Los Angeles all over again.

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  • June 4, 2015 at 9:30 am
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    I’m sure I don’t need to point out to journalists here the interesting diplomatic language used by the magistrate with reference to the police officer.

    I was originally charged with threats to kill and assault. It was laughable.

    After six weeks they decided to bring in a ‘retrospective’ public order offence. This is of course not allowed under law. That was because the assault never took place and they had no evidence and no chance of a conviction.

    Highlight of the case was when PC Grieves, explaining why it took six weeks for me to be charged with BOP, having never been arrested for that, said he “wasn’t too sure about the law and needed to take advice from his sgt.” Under further questioning he said “he hadn’t been on any law refreshers for three years.”

    Police who don’t know the law. Worrying.

    Harry Blackwood.

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  • June 4, 2015 at 10:55 am
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    Good stuff Harry.

    Far be it from me to suggest police vendettas against local media types, but at an awards do we used to attend there was often a police car outside that would stop and breathalise people.

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  • June 4, 2015 at 4:17 pm
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    Jeff. When I was editor of the Mail we broke dozens of stories that Ckeveland Police didn’t like.

    We were threatened by the police authority a couple of times over stories we’d carried.

    A chief constable was removed because of the paper’s stance on Operation Lancet.

    Draw your own conclusions.

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  • June 9, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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    Is it true that the police really tried to have evidence you wished to present in your defence excluded?

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