Crown Office re-issues assault charges against MP
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The Crown Office has re-issued charges against the MP accused of kicking a woman at a polling station on the day of the Scottish independence referendum.
Papers to re-raise the case have been lodged at Glasgow Sheriff Court, where an initial hearing is expecting to take place on Thursday.
Prosecutors are anticipating a new trial, presuming that defendant Marie Rimmer will submit another not guilty plea.
Ms Rimmer, who became MP for the Merseyside constituency of St Helens South and Whiston in May, is accused of kicking an opposing campaign activist outside Shettleston Community Centre during last year’s vote.
The complaint was previously dismissed by Sheriff Brian Adair because the word “Glasgow” was not included in the charge.
Instead, the charge read: “On September 18, 2014 at the entrance to Shettleston community centre, Amulree Street, then being used as a polling station you did assault Patricia McLeish and did kick her on the body.”
The oversight was noticed shortly after the case began, leading solicitor advocate Liam Ewing, representing Ms Rimmer, to ask the sheriff to dismiss the complaint.
Prosecutors decided to re-issue charges rather than go through an appeal process because they believed this would take too much time.
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