Seven charged with cheque fraud

(CNS): The dock struggled to contain the three men and four women charged with some fourteen offences relating to cheque fraud on Friday morning when they were arraigned in Grand Court. The seven defendants all pleaded not guilty to handling stolen goods and various counts of obtaining property by deception and attempting to obtain property by deception. They are accused of cashing the stolen cheques of a Butterfield Bank customer that amounted to more than $45,000. Four of the defendants are also accused of allattempting  to cash a further $4,000 cheque.

The crown claims the seven defendants all cashed several different cheques, which were stolen from one of the bank's customers in varying amounts of CI$5000, $4500 and $4000 during September and October of 2010.

The three men and four women, who deny the charges, will now stand trial in March 2013, which the court heard was the first available date. The trial is expected to last seven days and the defendants are represented by John Furniss and Prathna Bodden of Samson McGrath.