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January 1999 Skegness news story

LOCAL MAN IS ARRESTED AFTER TEENAGER’S BODY IS FOUND ON BEACH
A 33-YEAR-OLD local man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Skegness boy, Christopher Swales.
He appeared before Skegness magistrates on Wednesday, when police were granted a warrant of further detention, allowing them a further 36 hours to continue their inquiries.

The boy’s body was found by a beach cleaner at about 7.45am on Sunday on Skegness beach. When discovered, the body was lying face-down in the sand near the North Parade car park.
Police cordoned off the area, and the body was taken to Boston Pilgrim Hospital where a post mortem was carried out by Home Office pathologist, Dr Clive Bouch. Police confirmed death was the result of a physical attack.
A media appeal went out in an attempt to identify the body, said at the time to be that of a young man, aged 16 to 20.
Night club
Receipts found with him indicated he had been at The Street night club on Saturday night. The Police announced on Tuesday the boy was Skegness Earl of Scarbrough High School pupil, Christopher Swales.

Det Supt Nick Howard, heading the inquiry, revealed the identity and age of the boy. He said: “This is the murder of a child and it is a very serious offence.”
Christopher, whose parents are divorced, lived with his mother, Andrea Dreher, on Roman Bank. She works at Skegness Seathorne Primary School.
His father, Brian, a former postman, is a delivery driver for Iceland, Skegness, and lives at Burgh-le-Marsh.
Christopher was said to have been staying with friends at the weekend, but police are unclear as to why it took so long before anyone realised he was missing.
An operation involving 50 to 60 police personnel, including incident room staff, has been mounted, with officers working from 8am until about 10pm to llpm each day.
Inquiries
House-to-house inquiries have been conducted in the area between Scarbrough Avenue and North Parade Extension, Skegness.
Owner of The Street, Mr Mervyn Cooper, who was interviewed on BBC Radio Lincolnshire on Monday was one of the first to help police with investigations.
Mr Cooper said: “It was a very quiet night and everyone was very shocked” at what had happened.
He said The Street had taken 80 per cent of the business in town that evening. He had supplied the police with CCTV footage of the area not covered by the town’s CCTV system. But nothing untoward was discovered on the tapes.
Mr Cooper described the dead boy as “very, very quiet and inoffensive.” His security staff had never had any reason to correct him, he said.
Mr Steve Elliott, head teacher at the Earl of Scarbrough, said: “Staff and pupils of the school are extremely shocked and saddened by Chris’ tragic death. Chris was a very able boy with an excellent attendance record who was expected to achieve top grades in his final exams this year.”
Letters of praise
The boy had contributed to the school newspaper and received letters of praise for outstanding results. Mr Elliott said: “Chris was a popular lad with a good circle of friends and classmates who are extremely distressed by his death. His brother, sister and cousin also attend the school.”
He went on: “The whole community is affected by a tragedy of this nature and our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time. We will give all our support to his family and friends.”
On Tuesday, the school was in the process of arranging counselling for those pupils who had difficulty in coming to terms with the tragedy, and were enlisting outside help, as well as the school’s own pastoral system.
Floral tributes have been pouring into the school and are being laid by pupils at the main entrance.
Helping police
Mr Elliott said the school was helping the police in their inquiries. He appealed to anyone with any information to contact Skegness Police Station. General manager of The Street, Mr Andy Wheelhouse, said he was closing the 60’s Bar, a favourite haunt of Christopher, tonight, Friday, and tomorrow, Saturday, as a mark of respect.
The management has agreed to a request from Christopher’s friends to put up a memorial plaque in the bar, said Mr Wheelhouse.

At the time of his death, Christopher, who was 5ft 11in tall, with shoulder-length mid-brown hair, was wearing a blue, round-necked teeshirt with Symposium Average Man in white lettering on the front, blue denim jeans, a white corduroy zip-up jacket and black Airwear boots.
Police are still anxious to hear from anyone who may have seen Christopher in the The Street on Saturday night. Anyone who has any information about the incident, however slight, is urged to contact Skegness Police immediately on 01754 614346.

[follow-up story]

POLICE investigating the murder of Christopher Swales, are still interested in hearing from anyone who saw him in or leaving The Street night club on Saturday night.
They now have sketchy descriptions of a number of people believed to have entered the club some time between llpm and midnight whom they need to interview.
Two females walked in from the direction of Skegness town centre. One was believed to be wearing knee-length boots and a dark-coloured coat. The second was wearing high-heeled shoes and a coat with a belt.
They also want to interview a female, described as dark-haired and wearing dark shoes and a strapped, low-cut dress.
In addition, there were two men who walked in together.
One was wearing, a light-coloured short-sleeved shirt; the other a long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers.
Police need to hear from these people as soon as possible as they may have information which is very important to the inquiry. They are urged to telephone 01754 614346.

Father

THE FATHER of murder victim Christopher Swales choked back the tears as he spoke of his memories of his son.
“How do you remember your boy? There are a million things, aren’t there? I know we didn’t live together, but we were pretty close,” said Brian Swales at his home in Burgh-le-Marsh.
“He was a sociable lad and there wasn’t an ounce of aggression in him,” he said. “He wanted to go into engineering and he would have succeeded at whatever he wanted to do. We loved him. He was a happy-go-lucky, quiet lad. He was harmless.”
Christopher, 15, a pupil of the Earl of
Scarbrough High School, was found murdered on the beach at Skegness on Sunday morning, having been to the Street nightspot the previous evening.
A post mortem examination later revealed that he had suffered a physical assault, with injuries to his face.
SO PROUD
“He was such a smashing lad. We were so proud of him,” said Mr Swales. “He was a 15year-old with the head of an 18,or 20-year-old on him. He was a clever lad and I was not worried about him when he went out because he was level headed and sensible.

“He had just done his mock exams and done very well, with high grades. It’s ever so difficult. They want to grow up and go out,
He spoke of the great support he had received from family and friends.
LOT OF SUPPORT
“Everybody has been marvellous, we have had a lot of support, but on the other hand it’s very hard when the phone does keep ringing,” he said.
He was full of praise for the police who he said had done a thorough job.
“We allow all our children out at night. We all think they will be all right, but it is not the world that it used to be,” said Mr Swales. “You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool. I think we need to know exactly where our children are if we can, without being paranoid.” Father-of-three Mr Swales, a delivery driver for Iceland, recalled how he was told that he had lost his son.
“The worst thing is, I was on my delivery round and I was talking about it and saying I wished it was a world where people could walk safely. “I called round to my ex-wife’s house to find out that it was Christopher.”
It was very distressing for everybody, said Mr Swales.
He echoed the police appeal for witnesses. “If anyone knows when Chris left the Street nightclub, or any information that will help the police it would be very appreciated,” he said.

Man accused in beach boy murder
A 32-YEAR-OLD Skegness man has appeared before the town’s magistrates, charged with the murder of a 15-yearold boy.
Neil Walgate, of Beacon Park Drive, is charged with murdering Christopher Mark Swales at Skegness between January 1 and January 4, 1999, contrary to common law.
Prosecuting solicitor, Mr John Mitchell, successfully applied for Walgate to be remanded in custody for seven days until January 18.
Mr Mark Hudson, representing the defendant, made no application for bail. Reporting restrictions
were not lifted.
Tests revealed on Monday Christopher Swales died as a result of suffocation.
Police are still anxious to speak to anyone who was at the Street night club on the night of his death, and who may have seen or spoken to him.
Insp Nick Howard, heading the inquiry, is extending the search to include the driver of a white car seen on North Parade car park, late on the night of Saturday, January 2, or in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, January 3.
In memory of Chris
FAMILY, friends, and teachers and pupils of Skegness Earl of Scarbrough High School paid their last respects to teenager Christopher Mark Swales, on Wednesday, the day which would have been his 16th birthday.
The funeral of Christopher, who was found dead on the beach near the North Parade car park on Sunday, January 3, was held in St Matthew’s Church, Skegness.
The Earl of Scarbrough High School, where Christopher was a pupil, was closed for the day.
The Rector, Rev John Wickstead, took the service. Head boy and head girl of the school John Hallam and Louise Woollard gave the readings, and headteacher Mr Steve Elliott, spoke about Christopher.
He said the school community had had great difficulty in coming to terms with Christopher’s death. He also spoke of his sense of humour, and said his work and effort at school was an example to others.
Mr Elliott said Christopher was very popular and
maintained the difficult task of working hard at his studies but still being one of the lads.
He added that Chris should be a light to follow. Some of the many tributes from Christopher’s friends were read out by Mr Wickstead.
The service was followed by interment in St Mary’s cemetery, Winthorpe.
At the time of his death, Christopher was wearing a Symposium blue “Average Man” T-shirt. In a recent edition of the magazine Kerrang, it said the band Symposium were to honour Christopher.
Tragedy
Last February, while on stage in Bradford, Symposium vowed to never again play their Average Man single live, but changed their minds when friends of Christopher wrote to them informing them of the tragedy.
The band said they never wanted to release Average Man but were harangued into it by the record company.
Letters from Christhopher’s friends asked them to play it for Chris, and the band have said if they can find out which gig his friends are going to, they would like to play it then. They said: “It would be our way of getting to him, wherever he may be.”
A local man has been charged with Christopher’s murder and remanded in custody.

More about the trial in the Christopher Swales murder will be uploaded shortly.

A 75-year-old raped a schoolgirl (14) and got her pregnant (1999 Skegness news story)
A PENSIONER who raped a 14-year-old Skegness schoolgirl and made her pregnant was jailed for six years at Lincoln Crown Court.
A jury of six men and six women took just two hours to find 75-year-old Christopher Stevens guilty of three charges of raping the girl between June 1997 and May 1998.
Terrible shock
Giving evidence, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a jury of the shock she felt when she fell pregnant after the final time Stevens raped her.
The girl, now 15, said: “It was a terrible shock when I found out I was pregnant.
“When I told him I hadn’t come on my periods he started giving me a hard time. He said if you’re pregnant don’t tell your mum who the father is.”
During the trial the girl claimed Stevens forced her to have sex with him between 15 and 20 times.
The girl described to the jury how on one occasion Stevens lured her into the bedroom of his bungalow and then raped her.
The girl told the jury Stevens never used any contraception and bribed her with money to play on the arcades to keep quiet.
The court heard the girl told her boyfriend about Stevens’ behaviour when she realised she was pregnant.
The police were called but during interview Stevens formerly of Winthorpe Way, Winthorpe, and now of McCleod Street, Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, denied having sex with the girl.
Giving evidence on the third day of the trial Stevens said he had sex with the girl on one occasion but claimed she made the first move.
Stevens said he was disgusted with himself afterwards, adding: “I was ashamed, but she consented to it. I was afraid she might tell her mother.”

Stevens denied prosecution suggestions he lied to the police and then changed his story when medical evidence made it clear he was the baby’s father.
Asked by Mr Farrell if he accepted he was the baby’s father, Stevens replied: “Yes, I do.”
Michael Dutchman-Smith, mitigating, told the court Stevens had no previous convictions and urged Judge Richard Hutchinson to take his age into account.
Mr Dutchman-Smith said: “Clearly the only mitigation we can put before your honour is his age. The fact that he is 75 years of age. His life as he has known it ends today.”
Sentencing Stevens to six years’ imprisonment concurrent on each count, Judge Richard Hutchinson told him he was lucky to avoid a much longer sentence.
Judge Hutchinson said: “The sentence I am going to give you is not the one your behaviour deserves or what you would get if you were a man of normal age.
The court heard Stevens was born in Cyprus and lived in London and Scotland before moving to Skegness in 1997.

Hoax call sparks extensive sea and air search
JASON Baugh sparked a major air and sea search off the Lincolnshire coast in 1999 when he faked his suicide, magistrates heard.
Personal belongings and clothes were found on the beach at Skegness after Baugh made a hoax telephone call to the coastguard, the court at Skegness was told.
Baugh, 30, of Magdalen Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to making a hoax telephone call, intending to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
Finding Baugh £250, magistrate Mr Geoff Smith said: “You put a lot of people to a lot of inconvenience and the court won’t stand for that.”
Telephone call
Had he been in a better financial position, he would have received a greater penalty, said Mr Smith.
Prosecuting, Mr John Mitchell said that after Baugh’s belongings were found on the beach, police launched a missing person’s enquiry.
Baugh made a telephone call to the coastguard and an extensive air and sea search swung into action.
Police enquiries revealed that on August 30 last year Baugh rented a room at a Skegness bed and breakfast establishment. The following day he had contacted his wife to say he would be going for a swim in the sea and told his landlady a similar story.
During their enquiries police contacted a property management compa
ny, who said that a man had paid in cash six months’ rent in advance for a room in Norwich.
A search of the room revealed six rounds of .22 ammunition.
When interviewed by police Baugh had said he had intended to drop out of sight and take on a new identity.
Mr Mitchell said the total cost of the air and sea search was not known.
For Baugh, Mr David Eager said his client had had enough of his life in his own name. He had suffered various tragedies and had felt he could not cope any more.
He returned to his roots in Skegness with a plan to fake his suicide. His plan was that the old Mr Baugh would cease to exist and he would start a new life in a new name.
“He wasn’t trying to get away from his debts. He was going to make payments of these debts, albeit under a new name,” said Mr Eager.
“What he was not thinking about was the effect his telephone call would have on the coastguard.”
In the time the emergency services were dealing with this matter, a real tragedy could have occurred, but fortunately it didn’t,” said Mr Eager.
There was no sinister motive behind his possession of the ammunition. It was simply something he had failed to clear out.
Baugh was given a 12-month conditional discharge for the ammunition offence.

APPEALED IN VAIN
DISTRESSING CASE OF A SKEGNESS MAN

The appeal of John Henry Gask (52), of 9, Scarbrough Avenue, Skegness, against a total of six months’ imprisonment in respect of three convictions for indecent offences against young girls at Skegness before the Lindsey Appeals Committee at Lincoln on Wednesday was dismissed.

The sentence had been imposed by Skegness magistrates on June 28th when Gask admitted the three offences and asked for two of a similar nature to be taken into consideration.

Gask, it was stated, was the part-time caretaker of the Roman Bank Methodist Chapel at Skegness, and all the offences were committed against young girls who attended the chapel Sunday school, and took place either at the chapel or in its immediate vicinity.

MEDICAL TREATMENT
Mr. G. C. Phillips, chairman of the Appeals Committee, said it was one of the most distressing types of case with which they had to deal. The committee asked their clerk to bring the facts of the case to the notice of the hospital authorities in the hope that it might be possible for Gask to receive the medical treatment he so urgently required immediately his prison sentence was cornpleted.
No order for costs was made.

1951 local news story

NO KNIFE FLASHING AT SKEGNESS
THREE MONTHS GAOL AFTER SNACK BAR THREAT

Using the steel table knife which was an exhibit in the case, Skegness snack-bar assistant Maurice Pinfold demonstrated to Skegness magistrates on Saturday how a man had threatened to “stick” him on the previous day.

It was alleged that the threat had been made by 41-year-old Owen Canavan Redshaw, of no fixed address, when he ordered tea and a hot-dog for which he had no money to pay. Redshaw, who pleaded not guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, was gaoled for three months.

Mr. Pinfold, of 211, Roman Bank, Skegness, said that he first saw the accused man when working behind the counter of Mr. Tonglet’s snack bar in High Street at 4.50 p.m. on Friday.

Redshaw stood in the doorway talking to some men and waving his hands about. He later came up to the counter and after asking what was available ordered a cup of tea and a hot dog.
He was served and told that the cost was 1s. 4d.

“He started feeling in his pockets and then went across to a man on the seat trying to tap him for money.
” I said, ‘ Pack that game up in here.’ He came across to the counter and pulled the knife out from somewhere and pointed it across at me. He said, ‘ I’ll stick this in you.’”

REFUSED MONEY
Witness of the incident was George William Lillyman, a security officer at a local holiday camp, whose home is at 30, Beresford Avenue, Skegness. Mr. Lillyman said that Redshaw had previously asked him for money. When refused he became abusive. “Seeing the condition he was in I followed him into the milk bar,” said Mr. Lillyman.

When served with the tea and the hot dog he told Mr. Pinfold, “I’ve got no money to pay for it. You can do as you like about it. Who are you?”
Mr. Pinfold replied, “I want the money please.” Redshaw replied, ” You’ll get money” and pulled a knife out of his right-hand overcoat pocket.

“He made a plunge over the counter towards Mr. Pinfold and said, ”I’ll stick you you —.’ I shouted to him and told him to put the knife away. He turned to me and said, ‘ What’s the matter with you. I told him to put it away but he still kept it in his hand. I could see there was trouble brewing so I contacted the police.”

“VERY AGGRESSIVE”
P.C. Holmes said that when he arrived at the milk bar Redshaw was talking to the proprietor, Mr. Tonglet. He was very aggressive and kept waving his arms about. He refused to give his name and address and in order to prevent a further breach of the peace was arrested.

Redshaw said: “I never threatened anybody.”
In evidence the accused man said that he had been in possession of 2s. with which to pay for the tea and hot dog. He took the knife from his pocket during the time he was searching for the money, which must have falled from a hole in his pocket.
“I’ve never threatened anybody with a knife in my life. I came down here looking for work. I don’t see why people should have it in for a poor innocent man who has done nothing wrong.

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS
He was found guilty and it was said that he had a long list of previous convictions including several for larceny, housebreaking and credit by fraud, plus a number of minor ones for drunkenness, assault and wilful damage.
“What, three months for that!” exclaimed Redshaw when the sentence was announced.

The magistrates were Mr. S. W. Hankin and Mrs. Woods.
Said Mr. Hankin: ” The flashing of knives in this town is one thing the court does not intend to tolerate.”

1958 local news story