An alleged sex worker and her boyfriend have been accused of multiple offences of blackmail.
Appearing separately at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink, 26-year-old Lorna White and Jason Melvin Hamill (30) confirmed they understood the respective charges against them.
White, from Lisolvan Park in Brookeborough and Hamill, from Main Street in Aghagay, Newtownbutler, are jointly accused on four counts of blackmail alleging that between February 25 and March 28 this year, they made “unwarranted demands for money with menaces” from the alleged victim.
In addition to the alleged extortion, Hamill also faces a charge of intentionally causing or inciting White to “become a prostitute in any part of the world, and you did so for or in the expectation of gain for yourself or a third person.”
A detective sergeant old the court that from examination of mobile phones, investigators found alleged evidence they “have been used to contact the victim to demand money.”
Defence counsel Seamus Lannister had sought to argue that conditions could be attached to any bail order which would allow the couple to be freed but District Judge Rosie Watters refused the bail applications.
They were both remanded into custody and the case was adjourned to May 23.