Homeless woman in wheelchair to face trial in new year

Tuesday 10 November 2020

A homeless woman in a wheelchair who is accused of leaving excrement at various places around the island will face a trial in the Magistrate’s Court in January.

Sonia Evelyn Selwig (53) has been remanded in custody for the last six weeks as she is unable to provide a bail address.

Due to appear via video link from HMP La Moye in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday, she declined to go to the prison video suite so was represented in absentia by Advocate Francesca Pinel.

Ms Selwig, who had previously been named in court as Ms Evelyn, faces eight charges.

They are: leaving excrement at Les Quennevais Sports Centre on 24 August and 16 September, at Morrisons at Haute Croix on 5 and 8 September; at St. Peter’s Tea Rooms on 15 and 18 September; and at Morrisons at Five Oaks on 25 September.

She is also accused of maliciously damaging a room at the Jersey Accommodation Centre in St. Martin and ‘criminally and fraudulently’ obtaining £650-worth of board and lodge at the centre with the intention of not paying the £537 balance when it needed to be paid. This allegedly happened between 23 July and 6 August.

On Monday, Advocate Pinel - who was appointed Ms Selwig’s lawyer last week and had visited her for the first time on Friday - entered not guilty pleas to all charges.

A trial date has been set for 14 January and Ms Selwig was remanded in custody until that date.