The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Trial date fixed for murder accused in Buckhaven baby case
Man will appear in dock in February
A man charged with murdering a baby girl in Buckhaven is expected to stand trial in February – almost two years to the day since the child died.
Gordon McKay, 37, made another court appearance at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday as he stands accused of killing five-month-old Hayley Davidson.
Mr McKay denies the charge and pled not guilty at a previous hearing.
Lawyers have also lodged a special defence of incrimination.
At the latest hearing, Lord Beckett expressed his frustration as a solicitor acting for Mr McKay sought a further continuation of the case due to the apparent unavailability of expert witnesses they wished to call.
Defence agents said they were seeking to instruct a variety of medical experts to give evidence but to no avail so far, in particular a consultant paediatrician, a consultant in radiology and an authority in paediatric neuroradiology.
However, Lord Beckett fixed a trial date of February 19, suggesting that the court had already been “very accommodating” in relation to the issues raised by the defence.
He added: “If there’s a deadline caused by the trial and witnesses can’t be found then so be it, because this cannot go on indefinitely.
“We hear that the health service is stretched and it may be that people just don’t have the time to do this, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a trial.”
A representative for the Crown said it was “sympathetic” to the difficulties experienced by the defence, but asked the court to proceed to trial nonetheless.
It is claimed on various occasions between Hayley’s birth on September 9 2015 and February 14 2016 Mr McKay assaulted her in Buckhaven.
The indictment includes allegations he did “bend and compress” the baby’s body and bite her.
It is further said Mr McKay repeatedly shook Hayley and inflicted trauma and violence on her head and body. It is said she was left so severely injured that she died in hospital on February 17.
McKay’s bail has been continued.