Man admits £1m fraud against medical firm

Samuel Noel Savage (60), of Kincora Mews, appeared at Belfast Crown Court for an arraignament hearing on a total of 13 charges.

Sitting in a wheelchair outside of the dock, Savage pleaded guilty to entering into an arrangement with his wife Dolores Savage to acquire criminal property and converting criminal totalling £1,045,030.79p allegedly stolen by his wife Arjo Huntleigh.

He pleaded not guilty to converting criminal property and eight charges of dishonestly retaining wrongful in his bank account.

The offences took places on dates between June 2006 and December 2013.

Standing in the dock flanked by a prison officer, Dolores Savage, 59, also of Kincora Mews, pleaded not guilty to entering into an arrangement to acquire criminal property with her husband, obtaining a money transfer by deception and fraud by abuse of her position within Arjo Huntleigh.

Defence counsel Gavan Duffy QC for Samuel Savage told Mr Justice Treacy that his guilty pleas to two counts “represents the totality of his culpability”.

He added that other remaining charges he pleaded not guilty to were “duplicitous to what he has already pleaded guilty to’’.

Prosecution lawyer Robin Steer said he would need to a short period to “take instructions on his not guilty pleas to the remaining charges”.

Dolores Savage will stand trial later this year and the case is to be reviewed next month.

Mr Justice Treacy released the couple on continuing bail.