Toilet assault case dropped Man accused of flushing girls’ heads in loo

A man accused of shoving two young girls’ heads down the lavatory pan and flushing it has walked free from court.

At Paisley Sheriff Court last week Craig Chamberlain, 25, faced charges of assaulting a five- year- old and an eight-year-old girl at a house in Linwood.

The court heard that Chamberlain, of Ryewraes Road, also in Linwood, who is known to the girls’ mother, was expected to stand trial for the alleged offence.

But in a dramatic twist proceedings against him were dropped yesterday following a heated legal debate.

Fiscal depute John Penman had asked the court for an adjournment for the proceedings because the youngsters “had been up all night” about giving evidence to the court.

He added that the kids, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, would be able to give evidence via a remote CCTV link to the court at a future hearing.

And he asked for an adjournment to allow further preparation.

He also said the children were currently subject to involvement with the Children’s Hearing System, adding: “They are very young and very vulnerable.

“There is heavy social work department involvement with the young family and the children’s mother through issues with one of the children’s father.”

But defence agent Waqqas Ashraf appearing for Mr Chamberlain challenged the Crown motion for an adjournment.

He argued his client had already appeared twice at court to face trial, but on both occasions, proceedings in February and March this year had been adjourned.

He said: “This would mean the trial has been adjourned three times if this motion by the Crown is successful, and that would be unfair to my client as the Crown has had adequate time to prepare.”

Chamberlain had faced allegations of assaulting the two girls, five and eight, by grabbing them by the ankles, holding them upside down and putting their heads in the toilet pan and flushing it during September and November 2016.

But the motion to adjourn was rejected by Sheriff Kevin Duffy who ruled the case was being deserted simpliciter in the “interests of justice.”

The accused was told he was free to go and that the proceedings are at an end.