A man, who is accused of fraudulently collecting money for a cancer charity, was refused bail this week at Fermanagh Magistrates court after the Judge concluded that there was a “significant chance” that the defendant would re-offend.

Martin Ward appeared via video link as the court heard of a litany of offences including fraud, burglary, handling stolen goods, obstructing police, attempted theft and unlawful charitable collection, that are all said to have taken place within a few hours on the same day.

The court heard how on June 14 2018 the 25 year old is alleged to have attempted to steal a caravan worth £3000 from a Lisnaskea Caravan park.

Later that evening it is alleged that Ward called to a house in Maguiresbridge purporting to be collecting for the charity, Cancer Research. The occupier of the house reported to the police that the defendant became aggressive and lodged their foot in the door when he did not receive any money.

Police were also contacted about another alleged offence on the same day. It was said that the defendant rang the front and back door of a property and when there was no answer opened the back door and entered the house. The court heard how the occupiers of the house, a husband and wife, confronted Ward at which point he left.

Other charges against Ward, all stemming from alleged offences on that day, included trying to obtain vouchers from SD Kells in Lisnaskea to the value of £1,400, using the credit card of another and successfully using the credit card of another to obtain goods to a value of £37 from Autospares in Lisnaskea.

When police spoke to Ward on the night he is said to have stated that he was a registered volunteer with Cancer Research and that money collected would be put into the credit union on behalf of the charity. However, it was alleged in court that the credit union has received no money to date.

Objecting to bail police stated to the court that they felt Ward was a flight risk and was also likely to re-offend.

His defending solicitor argued that due to charges against his client in other jurisdictions that he was unlikely to be a flight risk. He also stated that his client’s mother was prepared to lodge £1000 as assuredness on her son’s behalf. And that his client would comply with any form of tagging that the police required.

Ruling on the bail application District Judge Michael Ranahan stated that there was complex investigation on going at present in relation to the charges against the defendant and while he accepted that he was “not concerned with flight” he did feel that there was a high risk of Ward committing further offences and that he was refusing bail for that reason.