Thursday, December 2, 2010

Further charges dropped in Sheridan Case at the High Court in Glasgow, Acquitted of suborning a witness, Alex Prentice QC prosecuting on the ropes













Dear All

It was supposed to be his star case, the one that would propel him to legal superstardom.

He came in showing lots of promise but for Alex Prentice QC, the hit trial of Tommy Sheridan is turning into a ‘Nightmare on Mart Street’.

High Court Of Justiciary. 1 Mart Street, Saltmarket. Glasgow. G1 5NA

He came as 'the hunter', Tommy Sheridan and his wife were his prey but one by one the ammunition to kill Tommy Sheridan’s career has been found to be blanks.

Charge after charge is now being withdrawn.

What must the jury think?

Witch hunt springs to mind and it is getting harder to see Prentice getting the win, the jury might say ‘let’s play safe and go down the road of not proven’.

After the last witness of the day made their pitch, Alex Prentice QC, the Advocate Depute rose like a man who has had the stuffing kicked out of him to address the jury.

He informed the court that the prosecution was withdrawing all charges against Tommy Sheridan relating to the "Moat House chapter".

This is a disaster!

And it gets worse, no further evidence on the first section of his indictment.

Lord Bracadale who is by all accounts being very good during the course of this trial then formally acquitted Mr Sheridan on the charge of suborning a witness (attempting to persuade someone to commit perjury).

The prosecution case has had another two torpedoes below the water.As the prosecuting Advocate Depute also told the court that the Crown were withdrawing all but one charge against the co-accused Mrs Gail Sheridan.

The longer this trial goes on the worse it gets for the Crown Office and Alex Prentice, one can only wonder if he will be looking for an exit strategy because as thinks stand I don’t think he could convict Tommy Sheridan of stepping on a crack in the pavement.

A long way is still to go in the hit trial but major damage has been done in what can only be described as a badly prepared case full of holes.

If this was a boxing match the ref would be required to step in and have a look at Prentice.

He is taking a hell of a beating!

Time to get out the Rocky Movies!

As a member of Team Angiolini, he must wonder how it all went wrong, so soon, the sweat must be pouring out of him.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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