False letter claim delays Craig Whyte housekeepers' court case

The trial of two housekeepers of former Rangers owner Craig Whyte has been delayed after one of their solicitors claimed a letter which the prosecution proposed to use in the case may have been falsified.

The solicitors representing Jane Hagan and her partner Terence Horan were given more time to prepare their defence and the case was put back by three months.

Eildih Macdonald, representing Horan, told the hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court that there was some dispute over a letter which had been produced by the disgraced former football chief in the case against his former employees.

Seeking adjournment of the case, she told Sheriff David Sutherland the prosecution disclosure had made reference to a letter written by her client which had been produced by the complainer Mr Whyte.

Ms Macdonald said: "There has been partial disclosure by the Crown and reference has been made to a letter which the complainer (Mr Whyte) has produced from a computer which is owned and operated by the accused and purporting to be from the accused."

She said she had not seen the letter.

"The computer is in my office and there is a suggestion it has been falsified."

The solicitor said she required to get the computer analysed and permission from the Legal Aid Board was needed to get an expert to do this.

She added there were other inquires which the defence still required to make and they would not be ready for trial on March 4.

Solicitor Willie Young for Hagan said he too was seeking more time to investigate the matter.

Kevin Corrins, depute fiscal, confirmed there was a letter listed as a production but the fiscal’s department had not yet received it from the police.

Horan, (53), and his partner Hagan, (50), have pleaded not guilty to stealing numerous items from Castle Grant in Grantown between June 1 and September 1, last year.

Both deny stealing a variety of items including a quad bike, quantities of ornaments, bowls, coins and Dutch guilders.

Hagan and Horan worked for Craig Whyte at Castle Grant on the outskirts of the town.

They are also charged with stealing other items including three pens, two lamps, headed notepaper, five chairs, three sets of cuff links, a photo album, a trunk, planter, five chairs, a table, two table leaves, a chest, compass, hip flask, set of hipflask cups, a case, two jumpers, silver photo frame, a box containing a set of keys, a telescope, a bag containing electrical items, two benches and a clay trap and cover.

The trial was scheduled to proceed on March 4.

It is expected that Mr Whyte will be cited both as a prosecution and as a defence witness.

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