A Fife woman walked free from court after being found not guilty of cutting her former partner’s penis with a pair of scissors.
Helen Smith, 48, was scheduled to go on trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Monday.
However, the court was told that the alleged victim, Stuart Cooper, had not been cited.
A Crown motion to adjourn the case was rejected by Sheriff Ian Anderson and a not guilty verdict recorded.
Ms Smith, of Carden Castle Park, Cardenden, had denied that on August 26 at her home she assaulted her partner Stuart Cooper, seized his penis and cut it with scissors to his injury.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told the court that a citation had not been served on Mr Cooper by police.
She said that he was a “reluctant” witness and had written to her office to say he did not want the case to proceed but had been told it was going ahead.
Defence agent Yvonne McKenna said she too had received a letter from Mr Cooper and a copy of the one he had sent to the fiscal’s office.
“It’s to the effect he made no complaint, did not inform the police, made no statement to the police and he had no wish for the matter to proceed,” she told the court.
She added that the fault lay with the Crown for the witness not being cited.
Ms McKenna said of her client: “She is a first offender and this case is placing her under enormous pressure.”
She continued that her client is suffering from a depressive illness.
“She had been unable to work for a period of time. She has returned to work but her job has been in jeopardy because of the press coverage.”
Sheriff Anderson, refusing the motion to adjourn the case, said: “In this case, there is someone who doesn’t want to attend.”
He added that postal citation had not worked and then instructions had only gone to police “late in the day”.
On leaving the court with Helen Smith, her brother-in-law Alex Milne, 55, also from Cardenden, said she was relieved by the verdict and was no longer involved in a relationship with Mr Cooper.
He added: “She’s a really quiet person and this was her first boyfriend. He was mucking her about.
“I didn’t like him. They had been together for about a year but I think he’s somewhere down in England now.”
Asked about the extent of the alleged injuries, Mr Milne said: “I don’t know much about it but I think he went to the hospital.”