Witness Marion was called to court four times in three years

the owner, who was in a basement tailor’s shop.

Rather than thank her, it was alleged the middle-aged man exploded with rage and began hurling foul-mouthed insults at Marion and the kind passer-by.

Shocked Marion, 44, called for police support – and the man was arrested for a breach of the peace.

That was July 2013 but the case was only resolved in March this year after Marion was called to court on four separate occasions to give evidence.

Each time the case was postponed, with one of the delays caused by the accused not showing up.

Marion, from Bishopbriggs, told The Sunday Post: “It’s your public duty to be a witness if you see a crime happening – but the way witnesses are treated is appalling.

“It’s really intimidating and it hangs over you like a cloud. You spend days on end thinking about it and worrying about it. It preys on your mind all the time.

“One of the times I went to court I had to sit in the witness room all day – and then they just turned up at 4pm and said: ‘Sorry, the accused didn’t show up.’

“When I finally did get to give my evidence, the man sat there staring at me. I felt it was very intimidating.”

The man, who’d insisted on his right to a trial, was found not guilty.

Marion said: “The whole legal system needs to be reviewed so that the needs of witnesses to crimes and victims of crime can be looked after – otherwise people are going to stop coming forward.”