The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Child music prodigy’ s attack case is dropped
The case against a child prodigy accused of carrying out a crowbar attack on another man has been dropped after prosecutors failed to bring him to court.
Singer/songwriter Brendan Macfarlane, 25, from Perth, shot to fame at the age of 11 when videos of him singing gospel and country standards went viral on Youtube when he was 11.
An invitation to appear on Maury Povich’s talent show on US TV sparked a high-profile legal battle over parental control of his passport.
He had been due to go on trial this week. However, fiscal depute Andrew Harding said Macfarlane was in Saughton prison and no one had ordered him to be brought to court.
Sheriff Euan Duthie refused a motion to put off the case against Macfarlane and co-accused James Foley and it was abandoned.
The move to desert the trial came on the 14th occasion it had called in court since February 2020, with seven different sheriffs having overseen proceedings.
Macfarlane was alleged to have been part of a gang that attacked John Williamson in Perth on January 22 2020.
Macfarlane, of Gaskhill Road, Balbeggie, and Foley, 25, allegedly acted with a third, unknown, person to attack Mr Williamson, allegedly striking him on the body with a crowbar to his injury at the junction between North Methven Street and Foundry Lane.
Macfarlane was further said to have been in possession of the crowbar as an offensive weapon.
Foley, of Caledonian Court, Perth, also faced a second charge of having an offensive weapon.
After being told the Crown had been unaware Macfarlane had been remanded in prison, Sheriff Duthie granted time to allow him to be brought to court.
However, Mr Harding then told the court he had been informed by prison transport staff Macfarlane could not be brought at short notice.
The case against both men was abandoned deserted pro loco et tempore.
Macfarlane is in Saughton prison awaiting sentence in relation to a firearms case in which he recently pled guilty.