Northern Ireland

Former UUP councillor charged with defrauding party

Former UUP councillor Dessie Patterson
Former UUP councillor Dessie Patterson Former UUP councillor Dessie Patterson

A FORMER UUP councillor has been charged with defrauding £6,050 from the party.

Although he did not appear at Downpatrick Magistrates Court, 67-year-old retired farmer Desmond Patterson was charged with a single offence of fraud by abuse of position.

The particulars of the offence allege that Patterson, from the Trassey Road in Newcastle, between February 27 and October 10 2017, “whilst occupying a position in which you were expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of the South Down Association of the Ulster Unionist Party dishonestly abused that position in that you took a total amount of £6,050 for your own use, with the intention, by means of the abuse of that position to make a gain for yourself or another or to cause loss to the said Association.”

District Judge Peter Magill granted a two week adjournment to August 25.