Unexpected development in careless driving case

Trial postponed after new witness comes forward

A SURPRISE witness has come forward in the case of a motorcyclist alleged to have knocked down an 83-year-old man in Wick.
The late and unusual development emerged before teenager Edward Allan's trial was due to begin at the town's sheriff court, earlier this week and resulted in the case being postponed.
The problem was explained by David Barclay prosecuting, who revealed that he had received a telephone call from a person claiming to have been an eye witness to the accident in Kinnaird Street, Wick on August 16, last year.
Mr Barclay said that the caller questioned why he had not been sited as a witness. The fiscal depute continued: "This person spoke to the police, at the time and was unsure why there was going to be a trial without him being cited." Allan, of Thistle Park, Wick denies driving driving carelessly and causing injury.
Mr Barclay made a motion to the trial to be postponed to allow him to investigate the matter and obtain a statement from the person in a bid to find out what information may add to the case.
Sheriff Andrew Berry heard an objection to a continuation from the defence who argued that the case had been hanging over the accused for some time which was causing Allan, of 1 Thistle Park, Wick, "a great deal of concern."
The sheriff rejected the objection, "in the interest of justice" and June 25 was fixed as the new trial date.

Careless driver will have to resit test after ban

A DRIVER lost control of his vehicle which crashed through a fence into a field.
The accident led to unemployed Dwid Mielczarek, 28, being charged with careless driving.
He was ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work and was banned for four months. The accident occurred on the A99 at Hempriggs, on December 3.
Sheriff Berry described the offence as not at the dangerous driving level but at the higher end of
careless driving.
Mielczarek, of 60 Murchison Street, Wick, will require to resit his driving test at the end of his disqualification.