Harrogate man George Yates convicted of attempted murder of two children

In 2022, George Yates, aged 42, carried out a violent knife assault in Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, injuring one young victim with life-threatening cuts to the neck and attempting to harm another. During the attack, Yates brandished a large bread knife, but a third older child managed to wrestle the weapon away. Police praised the bravery of the children and the workmen who used clothing to control the blood flow of the injured child. Yates was later taken into custody and admitted to hospital with self-inflicted wounds. In April 2023, he was found guilty of two charges of attempted murder at Leeds Crown Court. During a subsequent hearing in Sheffield Crown Court, it was stated that his mental state was 'extremely paranoid' at the time, as he had placed knives around his home and constructed a homemade incendiary device, and he was unable to make sense of his surroundings. The most severely injured child required emergency surgery to survive, while the other sustained only minor cuts to the fingers. Authorities described the attack as 'utterly horrific' and noted that the children will carry the trauma for life. Yates was legally detained in a hospital under restrictions that ensure mental health supervision if he is ever released into the community.