Greystone Farm: Owners of Yorkshire farmhouse B&B granted restraining order against their son after he stalked them and stole money

James Peel, 37, appeared at York Magistrates Court on Wednesday having pleaded guilty to stalking, fraud and criminal damage after ‘taking advantage’ of his parents Lester and Sue, who live at Greystone Farm in Over Silton, between Thirsk and Northallerton.

As well as running their bed and breakfast and tourism business, Lester is also a champion breeder of Suffolk sheep, a judge at country shows and the couple are well-known in the agricultural community.

The court was told that ‘issues’ with James began in August 2023, when he approached his parents and asked for £6,000 becaise he was ‘being targeted by bad people’. Although the Peels gave him the money, his mother later became suspicious after noticing that he had new clothes and that there were emails on her laptop, which he had used, from the fashion website Very. She then realised that her Natwest debit card was missing, and the bank told her it had been used on seven occasions to withdraw around £1,650 in cash.

When confronted by his parents, he admitted the thefts, but then damaged Mrs Peel’s laptop and smashed the couple’s log burner by throwing his phone at it.

After he was arrested, James was released on bail with conditions including not to go to Greystone Farm, but instead went straight there from the police station and over the next two weeks, made numerous visits to the property as well as calling and texting his parents. On more than one occasion, he arrived uninvited at the farm in a taxi and asked his father to settle the fare.

He was seen ‘wandering around’ the farm and village and even stayed overnight in an outbuilding. His requests included asking his parents to send cigarettes to a hotel and to pick him up from James Cook Hospital.

The Crown prosecutor said: “Lester Peel felt sad and depressed. They had tried to give James all the help they could. Going to the police was a last resort.”

She added that the Peels had requested a restraining order themselves, and confirmed that James has five previous convictions for 13 offences, including stealing £10,000 from his parents’ bank accounts in 2017.

His defence solicitor said: “This is a troubling, upsetting case. The situation developed over time. He always had the support of his family, a roof over his head and employment on the farm. They have bailed him out before, and he became reliant on their goodwill – perhaps over-reliant. He took advantage of them to repay his drugs debts and improve his own financial position. He visited the farm because he concluded that he could just sort it all out himself, but accepts he caused further upset. He went about things the wrong way.

"A reset button needs to be pressed and he has the capacity to reform.”

Sentencing Peel to a 12-month community order with a drug treatment programme, District Judge Adrian Lower described him as having a ’fortunate life’ but having ‘taken advantage of the better nature’ of his family.

Judge Lower granted the restraining order, which means that Peel, who is now living and working on another farm, can no longer visit his parents’ home or contact them.