First remote summary trial results in acquittal

The first summary trial in Scotland to be held remotely took place yesterday, and resulted in he accused being acquitted.

Local man Liam Macdonald appeared before Sheriff Gary Aitken via video link in the new Inverness Justice Centre, as did depute fiscal Niall Macdonald, defence solicitor John MacColl, the sheriff clerk and two police witnesses.

The accused denied possessing cannabis resin in Union Street, Inverness in January 2019.

The Crown case was that the drug was found after reports that a man had been seen acting suspiciously and was suspected of shoplifting. However the police witnesses gave differing accounts of the alerts they had received and what they had found, and during cross-examination of the second witness the fiscal advised the court that the Crown was no longer proceeding.

Sheriff Aitken told the accused that he was feee to go.