Magistrate fights fraud indictment

Saturday 19th February 2011, 3:00PM GMT.

The Assistant Magistrate, Ian Christmas (centre) arrives for the Royal Court hearing with Advocate MacRae (left)

A LAST-MINUTE legal challenge led to fraud charges against Magistrate-designate Ian Christmas being deferred when he appeared in the Royal Court yesterday morning.

Court papers circulated for the Royal Court sitting showed that Mr Christmas was due to be indicted on 13 fraud offences, but defence Advocate Robert MacRae protested that he had been given no evidence by the prosecution.

Crown Advocate Matthew Jowitt applied for the indictment – under which Mr Christmas would face charges of fraud involving more than £500,000 – to be formally put, but the court declined and remanded the case to 14 March.

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