A WOMAN who was extradited from the USA back to Northern Ireland to face fraud charges denied the offences after appearing in court on Tuesday.
Attending the hearing at Downpatrick Crown Court by videolink from prison, 55-year-old Marianne Smyth formally entered not guilty pleas to each of the eight charges against her.
Smyth, who is in custody but who has an address at the Spa Road in Ballynahinch, faces four counts of theft and four counts of committing fraud by abusing a position of trust alleged to have been committed between 20 March 2008 and 5 October 2010.
The fraud offences, alleged to have been committed against a total of six people including two individuals and two couples, allege that whilst occupying a position in which she was expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of the complainants Smyth “dishonestly abused that position in that you failed to invest money as promised, with the intention, by means of the abuse of that position to make a gain for yourself or another or to cause loss.”
She appeared in court earlier this year having been extradited from America and at that stage, the court heard the alleged thefts and frauds amounted to around £130,000.
According to media reports in the USA Smyth was arrested at a rental property in Maine in February and in court on Tuesday her defence counsel revealed there would be multiple application for disclosure from third parties.
Judge Geoffrey Miller KC said while that may be “on one level it’s a very straight forward case” in that the complaints, many of whom had attended court, claim the defendant “fleeced them of their life savings.”
Remanding Smyth back into custody and scheduling the two week trial to begin next February, the judge assured the alleged victims that “I will be keeping a close interest in this case” but he also strongly advised them “nothing should be said or done by any witness which could impact or prejudice the running of the trial.”