AN 85-year-old Suffolk woman is facing allegations of being involved in a fraud conspiracy.

Colin Adwent

AN 85-year-old Suffolk woman is facing allegations of being involved in a fraud conspiracy.

It is believed the allegations against Doris Winifred Aves are linked to the case of her son David Aves, who is due to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court on November 9.

Mrs Aves, of Freewood Street, Bradfield St George, near Bury St Edmunds, is scheduled to appear at the same court for a preliminary hearing of her case four days later.

She is listed to appear with co-accused 52-year-old Christopher Skelhorn, who is also facing an accusation of conspiracy to defraud.

The charges related to the period between April 18, 2007, and June 26, last year.

Mrs Aves and Skelhorn, of Thetford Road, Ixworth, were summonsed to appear before Bury St Edmunds Magistrates' Court on August 21 where the charges were laid against them.

They re-appeared at the same court last Friday when the case was committed to Ipswich.

No pleas have been entered at this stage. Mrs Aves and Mr Skelhorn are currently on unconditional bail.

At a previous hearing in May, David Aves denied accusations of perverting the course of justice, along with 16 charges of theft and 12 counts of fraud. He is also accused of three offences of contravening a disqualification order disallowing him from being a company director.

The 51-year-old, who has the same address as his mother, is alleged to have conned a large five-figure sum out of companies and individuals.

The theft and fraud charges relate to the alleged hiring, selling and buying of agricultural machinery and other vehicles.

Ipswich Crown Court was told it was believed the total amount of money involved in the allegations was around �50,000-�60,000 and that it was certainly no more than �100,000.

Among the accusations that David Aves faces is one of making a false representation to the civil division of the Court of Appeal in London in a letter from solicitors.

He is also charged with three counts of contravening a disqualification order made at Norwich Crown Court on May 18, 1998, which prohibits him from becoming a company director.

It is alleged David Aves was a director of three companies, Trotter Independent Trading Ltd, TWT Transport Ltd and Bury Transport Ltd after this date.

The theft and fraud charges relate to the period between December 14, 2006, and October 12, 2007.