A Keighley window cleaner demolished a dry-stone wall worth £1,000 in a car crash after calling at a pub on his way home from work, Skipton Magistrates heard last week. The court was told David Bingley, of Braithwaite Edge Road, suffered a minor head injury in the accident, on December 15, and was taken by ambulance to Airedale Hospital. The 63-year-old, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving, lost control of his Skoda Felicia on the B6160, between Barden and Bolton Abbey, and crashed into the wall after a “convivial drink” at a pub in Appletreewick. Prosecuter Simon Ostler said Bingley consented to a blood test at the hospital. It revealed that he had 117 milligrammes of alcohol in his blood — the legal limit is 80 milligrammes. Mr Ostler said the collision, which did not involve any other vehicle, happened at around 5pm and caused a total of £1,057 damage to a five metre stretch of a dry-stone wall.
Bingley’s solicitor, John Mewies, said his client had mistakenly had a drink on an empty stomach after forgetting his packed lunch. Bingley’s window cleaning round was in the Yorkshire Dales. Mr Mewies said Bingley had been working in the Linton and Grassington area when at around 3pm he decided to see his friend who worked at a pub in Appletreewick. “He enjoyed a convivial drink and left the pub feeling competent to drive but lost control of his vehicle,” said Mr Mewies. “No-one else was involved, but he made contact with the dry-stone wall and he rolled the vehicle on top of the wall and, unfortunately for him, not only had he ladders on top of his vehicle but he also had them inside.
“He banged his head badly on the ladders and was concussed. His recollection is vague but the emergency services attended after a passer-by happened upon him.” Magistrates disqualified Bingley from driving for 12 months and fined him £290. He was also ordered to pay £45 costs and a £15 victims surcharge. Mr Mewies said following the loss of his licence Bingley intended continuing with his window cleaning round with the help of his wife, who would drive him around.
A rogue window cleaner who burgled customers and let others down has been given a two-and-a-half year prison sentence. Homeless David Green, 43, admitted four counts of fraud for taking money for cleaning windows from Swindon householders and failing to fulfill his obligations between December 2008 and March 2009. At Bristol Crown Court yesterday, Green admitted another three counts of fraud between August 2007 and September 2008, three burglaries and one count of theft, all in the Bristol and Somerset area. He also asked for a 147 offences from Bristol and 124 from Swindon to be taken into consideration, consisting of fraud, burglary, attempted burglary and theft.
Sally Thompson, prosecuting, said Green would offer householders a three, six or 12-month deal for cleaning their windows on a monthly basis asking for payment up front but after a couple of visits would not be seen again. The court was told that Green was eventually traced through his white van. Ms Thompson said he told police that the money paid for his drink and drugs addiction. She said he also had two previous convictions in Swindon for similar offences. She outlined three Bristol burglaries between July and October 2009, in which Green had used a tradesman’s identity to gain access to people’s homes.
Victims of his burglaries included an 87-year-old woman to whom he posed as a builder then took cash and cheques, which he used to withdraw £6,000. On another occasion an 84-year-old woman was targeted by Green posing as a window cleaner and had cash, cards and jewellery taken. Christopher Smyth said in mitigation that drug tests on his client proved he was now drug free and that he had completed a drug rehabilitation programme. Mr Smyth said he had also cooperated fully with the police and given them details of where he committed offences. He said: “It makes it fairly clear he was attempting to wipe the slate clean.
“Whether it’s the drink, drugs, depression, the gambling, whatever it was it has got on top of him. “He dropped out of his normal life and committed offences to keep himself going.” Judge Michael Roach said: “You were given a community order and here you are doing it again. “What is particularly unpleasant is these distraction burglaries where at least two elderly people were relieved of their property. “It’s to your credit that you have worked hard in prison to sort yourself out, but clearly the custodial threshold has been crossed.”
Green was given an 18-month sentence for each burglary to run concurrently, six months for each of the Bristol frauds to run concurrently to each other but consecutive to the main sentence, six months for each of the frauds in Swindon to run concurrently to each other but consecutively, and two months concurrently for the theft. The 170 days already spent in custody will be deducted. Justin Tomlinson, Abbey Meads councillor and Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for North Swindon, was one of Green’s victims. He was targeted by Green in February last year when he offered window cleaning and work to gutters. Although the guttering was done and £99 paid, Tomlinson said the windows were never cleaned. He said: “I’m absolutely delighted justice has been served.Working with the local residents we helped to provide the evidence needed.”
A window cleaner – caught breaking into women's homes and trying on their clothes before performing a sex act – has been locked up for burglary. William O'Grady, 20, from Layton, was charged with stealing pieces of toilet paper in burglaries on Morland Avenue in Wesham and Lower Lane in Freckleton. A judge described O'Grady's behaviour as grotesque after he admitted breaking into the properties and performing a sex act in women's bedrooms while wearing their clothes during his window cleaning round.
One of his victims, a woman in her 20s, was so scarred by the events she had to move out of the area. Another victim said she was disgusted by what O'Grady had done. After his crimes were uncovered, she said she had thrown all her clothes, underwear and bed sheets away. She had also moved out of her home because she was frightened he would return. In a witness statement, the victim said: "I can't get out of my head what he did in my bedroom. I feel sick." The other victim said she was in total shock when O'Grady's crime was uncovered and she felt frightened.
O'Grady, of Dutton Road, was sentenced to 16 months in a young offenders' institution. Even though the offences were of a sexual nature, the only legislation available led the prosecution to pursue a charge of burglary.
Grabe Trial Wrapping up Quick: The trial of 53 year-old Allen Grabe who shot his young son continued Monday and is wrapping up pretty quick. Monday's witnesses were personal and professional acquaintances of Grabe, who the defense called to the stand. These witnesses said Grabe seemed stressed out and confused as to why he lost a contract that was a major source of his window washing business. They also said he was quiet and talked to himself a lot. Closing statements are expected Tuesday after the final doctor testifies, and it will be up to the jury to decide if Grabe was insane or sane at the time of the murder.
Allen Grabe, who operated his own window-washing business, had met on Sept. 11 with the local ownership of several Taco Bell franchises, who were considering ending Grabe’s services. The prospect of losing the lucrative contract weighed on Allen Grabe on Sept. 11, according to his wife’s testimony. Over lunch, she said, she saw her husband cry for the just third time in their marriage. “He said he felt like he was letting his family down,” she testified. Grabe’s defense, however, said it wasn’t the first time the couple faced a financial crisis, arguing it was an unlikely trigger for murder in 2008. The couple filed for bankruptcy protection in 1997, and Allen Grabe had signed off on an offered loan from relatives to help pay their son’s prescriptions, according to testimony.
