Aviemore accused first for Inverness court
TECHNOLOGY which could reduce costs to the court service in the Highlands was tried out for the first time when a sheriff heard pleas from an accused person by a CCTV video link from Porterfield Prison.
Shaun Allan (19) of Drumashie Road, Inverness denied threatening violence to police officers in Aviemore police station on June 26.
He also pleaded not guilty to several road traffic offences ranging from taking a vehicle without the owner’s permission on July 31 from Ord Ban Cottage, Aviemore; failing to provide police with the name of the driver; failing to provide breath tests and driving without insurance.
Allan, who is on remand at Inverness Prison pleaded not guilty to all charges through his solicitor John McColl on a video link to the court at Inverness Castle, several hundred yards away.
Sam McGuire, (18), of 86 Clune Terrace, Newtonmore, a co-accused of Allan, appeared in the dock at the court and denied allowing himself to be carried as a passenger in a stolen vehicle and failing to name the driver.
Both also denied stealing a wallet and its contents from the cottage.
The hearing, which last ten minutes, was continued by Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen until the next hearing on August 30.
The area fiscal for the Highlands and Islands who was conducting the case for the prosecution said afterwards to his knowledge it was the first time a video link from Inverness Prison had been used in Inverness Sheriff Court.
Mr Laing said afterwards: "Section 80 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 allows courts to have accused persons attend by video link in certain categories of cases – one being intermediate diets."
He said the case called at Inverness was a procedural calling and it is one of the types of cases which can be dealt with by video linking.
"At present prisoners have to be conveyed to courts such as Wick, Kirkwall and Stornoway for such hearings. This will save the prisoners, his solicitor and staff travelling a considerable distance and I’d like to think it’s good use of technology which may assist us in the future.
"This type of provision has been done in Glasgow between Barlinnie Prison and Glasgow Sheriff Court."
The fiscal said given the vast distances between Inverness Prison and courts in the Highlands the technology could save considerable inconvenience to the accused, their solicitors and prison staff.
Under the terms of the Act the court has to apply to conduct the proceedings on video but it can only be used in certain procedural cases which exclude first callings of summary cases and where evidence is being led.
