Castledawson man to stand trial for ‘wine fraud’ and impersonating a police officer

A Castledawson man has been sent for trial accused of stealing more than £20,000 from a single victim and impersonating a police officer.

Appearing in the dock of North Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine, 28-year-old Cormac McGuckin confirmed that he understood the 14 charges against him.

McGuckin, from Broagh Village in the Co. Derry town, faces two charges of committing fraud by false representation in October 2012 in that he claimed to be a James Arthur Halliday to order £2,370 worth of wine from Pieroth Ltd.

He also faces 11 charges of theft on dates between 9 January and 12 March last year, all from Mr Halliday, amounting to a total of £20,416 and a further charge of impersonating a police officer on 29 April last year in that a phone call to Wedded Bliss in Portglenone was “calculated to falsely suggest” that he was a police officer.

McGuckin told the court he was not objecting to the Preliminary Enquiry but declined either to give evidence himself or call witnesses on his behalf.

Although no facts of the case were opened on Monday, prosecuting lawyer said there was a Prima Facie case for McGuckin to answer and as his solicitor had no contrary submissions, District Judge Liam McNally said he was satisfied there was a case against him and committed him to Antrim Crown Court for trial.

Releasing McGuckin on his own bail of £750, DJ McNally ordered him to appear at the Crown Court on 8 December for arraignment.

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