Takeaway trial adjourned to collate CCTV footage

The trial of seven men accused of a racist attack on a Muslim take-away owner in Fife hours after the Isis attacks in Paris has been postponed until next year.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Dec 2016, 13:54 BST
Updated 6th Dec 2016, 12:52 BST
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Pic Neil HannaKirkcaldy Sheriff Court Pic Neil Hanna
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Pic Neil Hanna

It was delayed after it emerged some of the video footage had not been collected by prosecutors.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff James Williamson adjourned the case until February.

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He ordered a pre-trial hearing for January to check the CCTV footage was available.

The case involves seven accused – Kyle Campbell, Brandon Munro, Robbie Smart, Connor Crombie, Sean Wood, Darren Macduff and 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons.

They face a charge of attacking Mohammed Khalid at the Caspian takeaway in Methil’s Wellsley Road on November 15 last year.

They are alleged to have repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Khalid on the head and body to his injury.

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Munro, Smart and Campbell are also alleged to have attacked shop assistant Mohammed Nadeem, 35, by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the body to his injury.

All seven are also accused of “acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm and distress to Mohammed Khalid in that they did shout racially offensive comments towards him”.

Campbell, 19, of Sidlaw Street, Kirkcaldy, Munro, 18, of Farne Court, Kirkcaldy, Smart, 18, of Denfield Place, Kirkcaldy, Macduff, 18, of Craigmount, Kirkcaldy, Wood, 20, of Hugo Avenue, Coaltown of Wemyss, Crombie, 18, of Fosterton Crescent, Kirkcaldy, and the teenager, also of Kirkcaldy, deny the charges.

This wek they were in court only for the case to be deferred.

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It emerged during a brief hearing that not all of the available CCTV from the takeaway has been collected by prosecutors.

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.

“This is a matter that happened in November last year and attracted a fair degree of publicity.

“It first called in court in July. It’s now December and we are at the trial diet and it has still not been made available.”

He adjourned the trial until February.