Cases on hospital assault as well as a knife in jail and a hit-and-run accident were all thrown out within half an hour, The Herald reports.

Sheriff Gillian Wade refused the Crown more time to prepare two of the cases, noting that prosecutors had done nothing on them for weeks.

A case in which a pensioner was accused of knocking down a 14-year-old girl before driving off was scrapped because it had taken too long to prosecute.

James Lauchlan, 85, from Crieff, was accused of driving carelessly and at excessive speed in his Suzuki Swift before hitting the teenager.

But when the case called at Perth Sheriff Court, fiscal depute Matthew Kerr said: “All of the charges on the complaint are time barred. I would ask for the case to be treated as not called.”

Mr Kerr then had to apologise in the subsequent case, against George Stark, 32, who was accused of attacking and injuring a woman at Perth Royal Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency Department last March.

The Crown had failed to do any work on the case in the last three months.

Sheriff Wade noted that the case called on November 23, December 21 and January 18 and was continued without plea each time.

She said: “Sheriff O’Mahony heard it on the last occasion and said that would be the final continuation. What have the Crown done between then and now?”

Mr Kerr, who was not responsible for the lack of preparation, said: “I offer my apologies to the court. I have no information.”

Sheriff Wade said: “I am not continuing this case again.”

In the third case, Aaron Wallace, 35, of Dundee, was accused of creating a weapon out of a razor blade whilst in prison. No preparation had taken place in this case and, accordingly, the sheriff refused to continue it.