Sheku officer deemed fit to stand trial

A police officer who sustained a 'significant' head injury during the arrest of Sheku Bayoh is to stand trial.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court
Pic Neil HannaKirkcaldy Sheriff Court
Pic Neil Hanna
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Pic Neil Hanna

PC Nicole Short (30), of Glenrothes, is accused of three charges of illegally accessing data on the police computer system.

The charges are unrelated to Mr Bayoh, from Kirkcaldy, whose death in police custody in May 2015 is still under investigation.

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Almost a year of legal wrangling over the extent of PC Nicole Short’s injuries has delayed her trial.

Police Federation bosses say she suffered “significant” injuries during the incident that led to the 31-year-old’s death.

The trial, which was originally to be heard early in 2015, was then adjourned until last October, and has been repeatedly postponed since then.

At previous pre-trial hearing lawyers said psychological and neurological assessments on Short had been carried out - and that she may never be able to appear in the dock.

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The court heard PC Short had been involved in an “incident in Kirkcaldy” that had led to a “complicated medical state”.

But today (Thursday) Christine Hagan, defending, told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court doctors now deemed Short fit to stand trial.

An intermediate diet was set for September 21, followed by trial on October 7.

Short pleaded not guilty on summary complaint to three charges under the Data Protection Act.

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She is accused of accessing confidential information on the Police Scotland computer system in October 2012 by obtaining personal data relating to two men from Fife Constabulary’s Crimefile system.

Also of accessing the Scottish Intelligence Database for non-policing purposes in a separate incident.