man accused of sending threatening messages to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on social media and of abducting a sheriff ought to be barred from representing himself in authorized proceedings, a court docket has heard.
William Curtis and one other man with whom he’s accused of the incident involving the sheriff each beforehand stated they are not looking for authorized illustration and maintained that place after they appeared on the Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, Advocate Depute Chris McKenna stated it might not be acceptable for the boys to signify themselves because of the involvement of two weak witnesses within the case.
He stated it might not be appropriate for the boys to cross-examine weak witnesses and requested the court docket to ban them from conducting their defence, and for legal professionals to be appointed for them.
It’s a balancing act between the equity we should give to the accused and the perfect pursuits of the weak witnesses
Mr McKenna stated: “It’s the Crown submission that it might be manifestly inappropriate for both accused to be given the chance to cross-examine both of those witnesses.”
He stated that whereas the weak witnesses don’t relate to the only cost involving Philip Mitchell, there can be nothing to cease him from questioning them.
He informed the choose Lord Weir: “It’s a balancing act between the equity we should give to the accused and the perfect pursuits of the weak witnesses.”
He added: “It can’t be stated that the court docket appointment of legally-qualified representatives would danger prejudicing justice, removed from it.”
Curtis, 69, is accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive method which was “prone to trigger an inexpensive individual to undergo concern or alarm” by sending emails and posting messages on social media by which he made threatening remarks in the direction of Ms Sturgeon on numerous events between February 27 and March 6, 2019.
He’s additional accused of allegedly sending or inflicting a message to be despatched by social media on March 9, 2019 to Stewart Stevenson MSP which threatened him and contained a hyperlink to a video referring to the homicide of the MP Jo Cox.
He additionally faces two different fees of posting messages of a “threatening and abusive nature” on social media in October 2020 and June 2021.
Curtis and Philip Mitchell, 60, are accused of assaulting and abducting a sheriff in a carpark in Banff, Aberdeenshire, on June 29, 2021.
It’s alleged they seized Robert McDonald, sheriff of Grampian, Highlands and Islands, at Banff, pulled him to the bottom, sat on prime of him and detained him there towards his will.
All of the alleged offences occurred in Aberdeenshire.
Curtis has pleaded not responsible to the costs whereas Mitchell has not but entered a plea.
On the listening to in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Curtis stated he would proceed to signify himself.
He stated: “There’s not a barrister within the nation would contact me as a result of they don’t seem to be adequate. I’ll proceed to defend myself.”
Lord Weir stated he would take into account the matter of authorized illustration earlier than issuing a written choice.
He adjourned the case till September 8.
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