A former hotelier who spent six years evading justice over historic food hygiene offences by living “off grid” in Scotland has been jailed for more than two years.
Angus Baillie, 72, was one of two people who managed the Station Hotel in Pickering.
After being charged with the food hygiene offences following an environmental health inspection of the hotel’s kitchen in 2018, Baillie vanished the following year.
Baillie was sentenced to two years and three months in prison when he appeared before the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, at York Crown Court yesterday (Thursday).
The court heard an environmental health officer attended the hotel as part of a food hygiene inspection programme.
Dirty and unhygienic food preparation areas were found, along with a fly infestation, both of which placed customers at significant risk.
Officers also said there was a lack of wash basins and hand washing, dirty utensils and equipment and a lack of cleaning procedures.
Baillie, formerly of Station Hotel, Park Street, Pickering, and his business partner were charged under the Food Hygiene and Safety (England) Regulations 2013, and four Hygiene Improvement Notices were issued.
His business partner pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced at York Magistrates Court in October 2019.
Baillie, however, entered a plea of not guilty and then failed to appear at court. He was found guilty of the offences in his absence, and an arrest warrant was issued.
In January of this year, Baillie was arrested by the police and was committed to York Crown Court for sentencing.
He told police officers he had been living ‘off grid’ in Scotland.
In his defence, Baillie said he was not in good health and claimed that he had not deliberately evaded justice by going to Scotland but had “put his head in the sand”.
However, Judge Morris found that the delay in the proceedings was deliberate and described Baillie’s continued absence as wilful.
The Judge said he was unable to award costs to the council due to having imposed a custodial sentence and the defendant’s lack of means.
Speaking afterwards, Cllr Richard Foster, whose responsibilities on North Yorkshire Council include environmental health, said: “Our environmental health officers play a vital role in protecting the health and safety of our communities and we won’t tolerate anyone who provides food to the public but refuses to maintain basic hygiene standards.
“This result shows that even if offenders try to evade the consequences of their actions they can’t hide forever.”
