Co Down woman charged with £50,000 Orange Order fraud

Appearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court 52-year-old Lorraine Hunter confirmed she was aware of the three charges against her and that she had no objection to the case being returned to the Crown Court for trial.

On an indictment covering a time span from 13 January 2015 and 9 July 2020 Hunter, from the Circular Road in Ards, faces single charges of theft, forgery and false accounting.

The charges allege that Hunter stole £50,180 “being the total proceeds of a number of cheques made out to you, belonging to the trustees of Mary Street Orange Hall,” that she forged cheques and also that with a view to make a gain for herself, she “destroyed defaced concealed or falsified certain account records or documents belonging to the Orange Hall Renovation Fund which had been made or required for an accounting purpose.”

None of the alleged facts surrounding the charges were opened in court but a prosecution lawyer submitted there was a prima facie case against the alleged fraudster which was conceded by defence solicitor Leo Morrison.

The defendant herself declined to exercise her right to comment on the charges or to call evidence to court in her own behalf.

Returning the case to Downpatrick Crown Court but not fixing a date for the arraignment, District Judge Mark Hamill freed Hunter in her own bail of £300 with conditions that she resides at home and does not contact prosecution witnesses.