Altnabreac road block abuse case collapses at Wick court
Ian Appleby was alleged to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner at a road block at Altnabreac.
However, after hearing evidence from two witnesses, the case collapsed.
Appleby (47) had denied uttering offensive remarks and acting in an aggressive manner on October 30, last year.
Wick Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday that telecommunications engineers carrying out mobile servicing work in the area found their path to a road blocked by a picket fence.
Local man Kevin Booth (64), who gave evidence, arrived on the scene. He referred to an altercation and said he heard Appleby shouting abuse before he, the witness, disappeared so as not to “escalate the situation”.
At that point, fiscal depute Grant McLennan said he wasn't going to proceed with the prosecution due to a lack of corroboration, and he was deserting the case meantime.