A murder trial was abandoned on Thursday after a juror volunteered information that disqualified him from sitting in judgement on the case.
At the High Court in Livingston, Judge Lady Rae discharged the individual concerned then told the remaining 14 jurors that the Crown was deserting the case for the time being.
She discharged the entire jury and revealed that a decision had been made to empanel a new jury today so that the prosecution of Steven Thomson could start afresh.
Thomson, 29, a prisoner at Perth, is accused of murdering 39-year-old Duncan Banks at his home in Dunfermline in September 2015 and of possessing heroin.
He is charged with repeatedly hitting his alleged victim on the head with a blunt object or objects to his severe injury and robbing him of money, heroin, a wallet and a key.
He is also charged with possessing the Class ‘A’ drug at Duncan’s home and elsewhere in Dunfermline between 1 July and 13 October 2015.
The Crown alleges that he committed both offences while on bail, granted at Ayr Sheriff Court on 7 August 2015 for an alleged domestic offence.
He denies the charges and will rely on a special defence of incrimination which alleges that a mutual friend, Jamie Curtis, murdered Duncan.