New Home is Prison Cell
Sun shelter woman held in custody after throwing stones
A woman who had been sleeping in a seafront shelter in Skegness appeared before the resort’s magistrates court on Monday after throwing stones at a car.
Barbara Manuel, 54, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody for three weeks for pre-sentence reports to be prepared, after she admitted a public order offence.
Manuel pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The case was adjourned until December 12th for sentence and Manuel was remanded in custody until that date.
For the prosecution, Mr Nick Wyman said that at about 1.45pm on Saturday, (November 19), an off duty policeman was driving along South Parade when Manuel stepped out between two cars and threw rocks and stones. The driver was forced to take evasive action.
The first stone went over the car and onto the pavement. The second hit the rear plastic bumper, but did not cause any damage, said Mr Wyman.
The off duty police officer got out of his car and Manuel said to him: “You better get the police now”.
A police officer went to the scene and asked why she had thrown the stones.
She said “You have nicked my stuff so you had better arrest me or I will do it again,” said Mr Wyman.
Manuel was in breach of a 12 month conditional discharge imposed in February for a like offence, he said.
Manuel, who was unrepresented, had nothing to say about the offence.
Source: Skegness Standard 25th November 1994
Do YOU remember the lady who lived in the sun shelter on near the Rock Gardens, South Parade, Skegness?
BARBARA THE VAGRANT I think this is a sad story. A lot of local kids used to tease and taunt her. She made this shelter her home, but sadly it became her downfall as, if I am correct, she accidently set the shelter on fire and she perished in the blaze. Not only did Barabra perish but we lost a piece of Skegness history as it was one of the original wooden seafront shelters from bygone days. All that is left there now is a concrete base. I would have thought that the local council might have sited a wooden bench seat with a brass plate with Barbara’s name on it as a memorial to give her some respect that she properly never got while she was living.