Ian Black cleared of cocaine charge

The 26-year old, who lives in Tranent, was due to stand trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today charged with being in possession of the Class A drug at the Lava & Ignite nightclub in Tollcross on May 16 last year. He had constantly denied the allegation.

When the case was called, Fiscal Depute, Pauline Shade, told Sheriff Derrick McIntyre that two essential Crown witnesses, members of the security staff at the club, had not attended court and asked that the trial be adjourned to a later date.

This was opposed by defence solicitor, Andrew Houston, who said this was the seventh time the case had been before the court.

His client, he said, was a professional footballer with Heart of Midlothian.

“Over the last several months the club has attracted a considerable amount of publicity, mostly about late payment or non-payment of salaries” he said. This had led to Black being unable to meet household expenses and he had begun a part-time job as a painter and decorator.

The publicity about the case had had an adverse effect on this. He called for Black’s Not Guilty plea to be accepted.

The Fiscal said that the citation to one of the witnesses had been put through a letter box and not personally served. The other witnesses had not been served with a citation at all. She asked for the case to be deserted at this time.

Mr Houston said that his client had undergone routine drug tests by the SFA and UEFA under the terms of his employment and all had been found negative. To desert the case for this time, he said, was “an adjournment by the back door”.

Sheriff McIntyre said it appeared one of the witnesses was unwilling to attend court and the other would not seem to have been served with a citation.

“Bearing in mind the pressure under which the courts are at the moment, I shall refuse The Crown’s motion”. He deserted the case completely.

The footballer had no comment to make as he left court.