The data protection case against a police officer injured in the incident which claimed the life of Kirkcaldy father Sheku Bayoh has again been continued.
PC Nicole Short is accused of illegally accessing information on the police computer system in a case not related to Mr Bayoh’s death in May 2015.
Short, of Glenrothes, denies three charges of viewing crime files of two people for non-policing reasons without consent and accessing the Scottish Intelligence Database to gain information about them on two dates in October 2012.
It has been continued while Short’s fitness to appear in court has been examined.
The Police Federation has said Short had suffered significant injuries and feared for her life during the incident in which Mr Bayoh died.
This incident is still being probed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
The 30-year-old officer was taken to hospital but discharged and has been on sick leave from her job with the police.
The data protection case has continued as Short’s complicated medical state was investigated.
It called at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Monday.
In Short’s absence – she was excused from attending – solicitor Ross Cameron said the Crown had said last Wednesday that it intended to proceed with the case against his client.
Mr Cameron also put forward a motion in a bid to prohibit any reporting of the current proceedings in the data protection case until it had concluded, or until a fatal accident inquiry or similar proceedings be completed into the incident in which Mr Bayoh died.
This was rejected by Sheriff Alastair Thornton who said he was not satisfied on the basis of material put before him that there was a substantial risk of prejudice in the administration of justice in these or other proceedings should there be a report of the data protection case.
Refusing the motion, the sheriff said he was prepared to allow the accused to bring forward further material before the court in the future.
The case will call again later this month.
