Man cleared of attempted murder charges after Tan Hill Inn shooting

A man has been found not guilty of attempted murder after a shooting at a landmark pub in North Yorkshire.

Richard Bowser, 46, from Bishop Auckland, was accused of trying to kill a man at the Tan Hill Inn on 21 July 2023.

On Wednesday 17 January at Teesside Crown Court, a jury found Bowser not guilty on two charges of attempted murder, but found him guilty of wounding with intent and two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Bowser had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting three people and possession of a firearm.

The charges relate an incident at the venue in Swaledale, which is Britain's highest pub.

The court heard that Bowser had struggled to pay for drinks when his card was declined, which lead to a fight breaking out in the bar.

Bowser was staying in one of the pub’s glamping pods with his partner that night.

Later, the court heard, Bowser fired a revolver through a door of a guest room, hitting a man in the arm and grazing his chest abdomen. 

Bowser will be sentenced on Wednesday 24 January.

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