Catherine Lambe, 63, from Burn Road in Hillsborough, County Down, is set to stand trial in October for allegedly possessing criminal property totaling £267,326.46. She appeared at Craigavon Court on Tuesday, where she pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Lambe faces additional accusations of false accounting and abusing her position of trust with Cameron Landscapes Ltd. Her husband, Norman Lambe, 66, who shares the same address, is also implicated in the case for possessing the same amount of criminal property; however, his defense team has filed a no bill application on his behalf. He is scheduled to return to court on July 17.
The alleged offences reportedly occurred over a period exceeding a decade, specifically from December 15, 2009, to February 25, 2020. The abuse of trust charge claims that Catherine Lambe made multiple payments to herself amounting to £267,326.46. Meanwhile, the false accounting charge accuses her of having “destroyed, defaced, concealed or falsified” account records related to the SAGE accounting system of Cameron Landscapes Ltd, which operates a landscaping and garden center on Ballylesson Road in Belfast.
The judge has set the trial date for October 28, 2024.