Woman accuses court of holding her as a 'slave'

58-year-old accused of breaching order to file tax return

A woman’s accused a court of holding her as a slave - after she was asked to plead to an allegation of breaching a court order to file a tax return.

Fifty-eight-year-old Shem Heather Allanson, of no fixed address, appeared at Douglas courthouse.

She refused to enter pleas to allegations of obstructing a coroner and failing to comply with a court order.

Initially she refused to enter the dock and said she would stand in the public gallery - magistrates explained the case would proceed without her unless she complied.

Representing herself Miss Allanson said her name was a legal fiction and claimed the charges didn’t apply to her.

She told the bench she was being held as a slave - describing it as “a criminal offence, globally” - and accused the court of trying to force her into a contract.

The hearing was told she’d been ordered to submit a 2019 tax return by a court in February.

Magistrates entered a not guilty plea on her behalf and she was bailed to next appear on 24 June.