A TRIAL at Paisley Sheriff Court had to be adjourned last week...as a police officer was too busy “dealing with Brexit” to give evidence.

The officer was due to appear in the trial of 22-year-old Declan McFadyen, who is accused of three charges – attacking two other men and behaving in a threatening or abusive way.

But the case had to be adjourned until later in the year because the police officer had not been cited.

And, when the judge asked what had happened, he was told the officer had been assigned to unspecified duties involving the UK’s exit from the EU.

That prompted Sheriff Colin Pettigrew to remark: “I’m not sure how ‘Brexit duties’ trumps the court.”

Procurator fiscal depute Maureen McGovern replied: “I think the issue with the Brexit office is that they are not sure if he has received his citation yet.”

Sheriff Pettigrew then adjourned the case and released McFadyen on bail.

McFadyen denies bottling Robert Milne at a flat in South Campbell Street, Paisley, on August 24 last year.

Prosecutors claim he struck Mr Milne over the head with a glass bottle, causing him to fall to the ground, before raining blows on his head, leaving him injured.

He is also said to have attacked Ross Docherty on the same occasion by striking him on the head, causing him to fall to the ground and then raining blows on his head and body.

McFadyen, of McKerrell Street, Paisley, further denied behaving in a threatening or abusive way, which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm, by shouting, swearing and repeatedly threatening Mr Milne with violence, in breach of Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

It is also claimed that he was on bail at the time of the alleged offences over another Paisley Sheriff Court case.

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