A SOLICITOR accused of committing fraud of more than half a million pounds will face a judge at the Crown Court.
Stephen John Ellis appeared at South Lakeland Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday) facing 15 charges of fraud allegedly committed between May 2010 and October 2013.
The charges against Ellis, 42, of Howgill, Sedbergh, relate to his time working at Temple Heelis Commercial LLP, which was based at Prizet and traded as TH Commercial.
Temple Heelis Commercial is an entirely separate company from Temple Heelis, a solicitors’ firm with offices in Windermere and Kendal.
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He faces one charge of false accounting and four counts of fraud by false representation to allegedly gain a total of £673,227 for himself or Temple Heelis Commercial.
In addition he faces nine charges of fraud by abuse of position to allegedly gain a total of £167,638 for himself or the company.
He also faces one charge of stating the amount of money owed to the company was more than it actually was when the company was wound up last year.
Ellis, who entered no plea to the charges, was released on conditional bail to re-appear at Carlisle Crown Court on March 2.
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