'Unpredictable and alarming ': Woman jailed after child injured in Skegness arcade incident, police say
A Skegness woman has been jailed for a year after admitting a series public order offences, including actual bodily harm to a child, according to police.
Samantha Gardiner, 41, of Clarke Way, Southview Leisure Park, appeared before Lincoln Magistrates' Court on multiple offences stemming from incidents in Skegness on February 28.
In a statement after sentencing, Lincolnshire Police outlined the offences, saying a two-year-old girl was being lifted onto an arcade ride by a relative when Gardiner, who was sitting nearby, threw a vodka bottle in the child's direction. The bottle struck the youngster on the side of the head, causing bruising and a large lump.
Police say their investigation also found that before the incident, Gardiner had been with an unidentified man and woman in the same amusement arcade when the man recorded Gardiner using racial slurs on a mobile phone. The footage was later shared on a local Facebook community page.
Gardiner then left the arcade, police say, and walked to another amusement venue, where she struck a member of the public on the side of the head with her handbag. Officers say the man was not connected to the earlier incident involving the child and was not injured.
According to police, both incidents were captured on CCTV.
Lincolnshire Police say Gardiner was identified by the child's family and arrested shortly afterwards.
Officers further allege that while being transported to custody she verbally abused attending officers and, after arriving at Skegness Police Station, became violent, scratching and bruising one officer and spitting in the face of another.
Police say Gardiner was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, assault by beating and a number of public order offences.
She was sentenced on May 29 to a total of 12 months' imprisonment.
Sergeant Billy Spence said: "This woman's behaviour was unpredictable and alarming for all those who encountered her that day, and we have absolutely zero tolerance for that.
"People are entitled to enjoy the amenities that our wonderful town offers without fear of encountering such distasteful and frankly dangerous behaviour.
"I would like to thank our community partners who greatly facilitated this investigation."