Beleaguered prisoner escort firm GEOAmey has apologised for holding up the start of a serious assault trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
Bosses blamed staffing issues for difficulties bringing Glenochil inmate Dean Stirton into the dock.
The 32-year-old’s trial had been due to begin on Tuesday morning but he was not brought to court until later that afternoon.
Once he was in the building, there were not enough staff to bring him upstairs from the court cells and sit with him in the courtroom.
The sitting was aborted and jurors – who had arrived before 10am – were eventually sent home for the night after being told “technical issues” remained unresolved.
Convicted fraudster Stirton eventually appeared on Wednesday morning, after he was made a “priority” by GEOAmey.
Stirton denied assaulting former friend Duncan Sutherland with a Buckfast bottle and a baton in March 2021.
His trial collapsed on Thursday morning following evidence from his alleged victim.
‘Disgraceful’ delays
A GEOAmey spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to the court for the issues caused by the recent staffing issue at Perth Sheriff Court.
“We can confirm that priority was given to the transportation of the individual involved and the case was heard on Wednesday.”
It comes days after a strongly worded rebuke from the Law Society of Scotland, which highlighted “disgraceful” hold-ups at courts up and down the country.
President Sheila Webster said: “We’ve been receiving disturbing and unacceptable reports of delays and disruption in courts across Scotland for quite some time and it appears that the problems are getting worse with no end in sight.”
In May, GEOAmey bosses were hauled before a sheriff in Forfar to explain recurring delays, including a shoplifter who was four hours late for trial.
Altercation
Stirton, who was jailed for 32 months following a conviction for fraud at Airdie Sheriff Court, faced allegations he battered Mr Sutherland with a baton and struck him over the head with a glass bottle, leaving him injured and permanently disfigured.
He denied the charge, arguing he was acting in self defence.
Mr Sutherland’s sister-in-law Veronica Herman, 41, told the trial she saw the alleged victim soaked in blood after a confrontation with Stirton on Leslie Court.
Mr Sutherland told defence solicitor Paul Ralph he and Stirton had been good friends up until the altercation.
The 42-year-old said he struck Stirton over the head with his acoustic guitar after he hit him two or three times on the rib cage with a metal pole.
“He was drunk, so it wasn’t hard,” Mr Sutherland said.
The guitar “shattered,” he said, and Stirton walked away.
Mr Sutherland said he could not explain a cut to the side of his head, which had left a lasting scar. He said he did not see Stirton with a bottle.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie confirmed that the Crown was no longer seeking a conviction.
Stirton was formally found not guilty.
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