A car dealership worker from Roadside Motors’ Edwin May business in Coleraine has appeared in court to face theft and fraud charges amounting to more than £450,000.

The Irish News reported that 48-year-old Norma Smith, of Duncrun Road, Limavady, had the scale of her alleged crimes ramped-up to £456,402, from £195,961 at an earlier hearing, during a hearing at Antrim Crown Court.

According to the report, Smith faces one count of theft of around £437,824.61 belonging to Edwin May Ltd, which operates neighbouring Nissan and Volkswagen dealerships on Riverside Park South, Coleraine.

She also faces a charge of fraud by abuse of position in relation to an allegation that she accessed company accounts and used company funds of £18,578.86 to settle of personal invoices and car finance repayments between January 2012 and November 2019.

Prosecuting counsel Suzanne Gallagher and defence barrister Barry Gibson told last Wednesday’s hearing in Antrim that the future management of the case depended on the contents of a forensic accountant report.

Judge Alistair Devlin said he would review the case in two weeks.