A sheriff has blasted prosecutors after the trial of seven men accused of a racist attack on a Muslim takeaway owner hours after the Isis attacks in Paris last year had to be postponed.
Kyle Campbell, Brandon Munro, Robbie Smart, Connor Crombie, Sean Wood, Darren Macduff and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to face trial over the allegations.
Despite all the accused, lawyers and most witnesses being present, the case had to be put off because of Crown blunders with CCTV evidence.
It emerged during a brief hearing that not all of the available CCTV from the Caspian takeaway in Methil, where the alleged offence occurred, has been collected by prosecutors.
That is despite almost 13 months having elapsed since the incident, and more than four months since the case first called in court.
Some of the footage was even posted on Facebook and YouTube within days of the incident.
Sheriff James Williamson said: “I’m getting fed up of the number of trials I’m asked to adjourn because the CCTV has not been made available.
“There’s a large organisation behind you, madam fiscal, and I would think someone would have done this.”
The seven are accused on summary complaint of attacking Mohammed Khalid at the Caspian takeaway in Methil’s Wellsley Road that the 53-year-old runs with his wife Maqsooda on November 15 last year.
Sheriff Williamson adjourned the trial to a date in February and ordered a pre-trial hearing in January to check the availability of the CCTV footage.
