Two people — one of them a woman from Keswick — have appeared in court accused of fraud linked to an alleged kidnapping.
Kieran Allan Winder, aged 30, and 37-year-old Amy Louise Gaskell jointly face one charge of fraud.
This alleges that they made a false representation to a third party which was, and which they knew was or might be untrue or misleading — namely that Gaskell had been “kidnapped” and further that “monies were required to reimburse” Winder.
It is alleged that the fraud took place on July 22.
Winder faces three other charges. Two of these allege assaults on emergency workers — police constables — and a third alleges that he caused criminal damage to a cell and blanket belonging to Cumbria police.
Winder, of Hunday Court, Workington, and Gaskell, of Coleridge Court, Keswick, appeared at Carlisle Crown Court and were due to have entered pleas to the charges they face. However, lawyers representing the defendants asked for arraignment to be postponed, a request granted by Judge Nicholas Barker. A solicitor acting for Gaskell indicated she would be pleading not guilty to the fraud charge.
A provisional trial date with a three-day time estimate was set for the week of January 15.
A further plea and trial preparation hearing was fixed for next month. In the meantime Gaskell is on bail while Winder is remanded in custody.
