A County Durham bank worker has denied theft and fraud charges relating to sums totalling almost £120,000 from an elderly customer.

Liam Schofield is accused of stealing £91,934 of the woman’s money between March 2013, and May 2018.

But he is also alleged to have fraudulently made four applications for loans, for amounts totalling £28,000, in the name of the same customer, two each from Lloyds Bank and Hitachi, between January 2016 and March 2018.

Appearing at a Durham Crown Court plea hearing today (Friday May 3), the defendant denied all five charges put to him.

The Northern Echo:

Glenn Gatland, for the defendant, said all of the prosecution evidence is yet to be received by defence lawyers.

Judge Jo Kidd said a timetable could still be set out for the case procession, providing the prosecution evidence is fully submitted by June 14.

In response, the signed defence statement must be submitted to the court by July 12.

The Northern Echo:

A trial date convenient to all parties, starting at the court on February 10, next year, was then fixed.

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Judge Kidd said a further case management hearing should be staged to ensure everything is proceeding on track ahead of the trial.

She adjourned the hearing and bailed the 32-year-old defendant, of Escallond Drive, Dalton-le-Dale, near Seaham.

He was told he must return to the court for the further case management hearing, on September 2, and then for the trial itself, in February