Bus driver trial date adjourned until next year

Man faces dangerous driving charge after accident in car park

A Fife man is due to stand trial next year accused of dangerous driving after two schoolboys were hit by a bus in a Dunfermline car park.

John Morrison, 59, of Marmion Drive, Glenrothes, made a further appearance at Dunfermline Sheriff Court in connection with an incident in Allan Crescent earlier this year.

Two local youngsters were left injured – one seriously – following an accident involving a Bay Travel bus on February 28.

Morrison is accused of causing serious injury to a boy, then aged 13, by driving dangerously and failing to properly observe the roadway around him.

The charge alleges that his vehicle hit the 13-year-old and another boy, who was then aged 12.

Morrison previously denied the charge by letter in August and maintained his not guilty plea during his latest appearance in court.

A brief hearing last week revealed talks had been ongoing between the Crown Office and Morrison’s solicitors, which prompted a continuation of the case.

However, during yesterday’s proceedings, solicitor Alexander Flett – acting on behalf of Morrison’s principal agents – lodged a defence motion to adjourn the case again.

He said an accident reconstruction report had not yet been provided, saying that this was an important factor since there was a “material issue about the factual circumstances of the accident”.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said the Crown had no opposition to the defence motion to adjourn, pointing out that a key witness – namely the more seriously injured boy – had not yet been cited to appear.

Sheriff Charles Macnair agreed to fix a trial date of February 1, 2018, with another procedural hearing expected to take place a fortnight prior to that.

A Bay Travel bus was involved.