Court hearings were apparently halted at Perth yesterday as a procurator fiscal depute, Charmaine Cole was ‘reduced to tears’ by the words of Sheriff Robert McCreadie who requested to know wny case papers were not ready.
The Daily Record reports :
Sheriff forced to stop court hearing after leaving prosecutor in tears
Apr 10 2009
A SHERIFF held up court proceedings yesterday after being so rude to a prosecutor that she fled in tears.
Sheriff Robert McCreadie badgered procurator fiscal depute Charmaine Cole in front of shocked solicitors and members of the public.
She left in obvious distress and criminal cases were delayed while another prosecutor was found.
Solicitors later accused the sheriff of being "out of order".
A court source said: "Charmaine is highly competent, diligent and very well liked.
"The way McCreadie behaved towards her was absolutely appalling.
"She would be well justified in complaining formally to the sheriff principal.
"The sheriff seems to think he can pick on young, and particularly female, lawyers."
Sheriff McCreadie had asked Miss Cole why papers in a certain case were not ready.
She tried to explain that they were not due until custody documents were ready.
But he continually interrupted until finally she left.
Sheriff McCreadie recently jailed an anti-drugs vigilante who flushed a heroin dealer's stash down the toilet.
And he once halted a court case after pressing the wrong button on his laptop and wiping out all the details.
A Crown Office spokesman said the latest incident was being investigated.
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