The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Full-time comes early at court for Celtic’s Griffiths
TRIAL: Striker sent off before usual 4pm finishing time to make Europa League tie
A court called full-time an hour early on Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths’ Dundee speeding trial so the Hoops star could get to their crucial Europa League qualifier on time.
The Scotland forward appeared at Dundee Justice of the Peace Court for the second day of his trial.
He denies driving his four-litre, 469-horsepower Mercedes AMG C63 at 62mph on the Kingsway in Dundee on June 3 last year.
Time was called on the evidence at 3pm, an hour earlier than the usual finishing time, after the court was told Griffiths needed to meet up with his colleagues at the team hotel well before the 8pm kick off against Lithuanian side FC Suduva.
As he left the dock, JP Derek Cochrane told Griffiths: “I hope tonight goes the way you want it.”
Earlier, Griffiths smiled and waved at fans chanting at him during the court’s lunch break.
The court heard the end of seven hours of technical testimony from police safety camera officer Scott Aitken about the calibration of the speed gun equipment used in the camera van he was operating.
Mr Aitken said he spotted the Mercedes speeding past other traffic on the westbound carriageway of the Kingsway at about 2.21pm on June 3 last year – just days before Griffiths’ famous free-kick double for Scotland against England at Hampden.
Asked by depute fiscal Alan Kempton if he was operating the camera equipment properly he replied: “Yes.”
Mr Kempton asked: “As far as you were concerned it was calibrated properly?”
Mr Aitken said: “Yes.”
He added: “It (the car) came round the corner and caught up with the vehicle in front of it quite quickly.
“It was quite obvious he was going above the speed limit.”
Police constable Graeme Wallace told the court he had certified documents showing the documentation relating to equipment used to catch Griffiths was in date.
Asking for the case to be adjourned early, defence solicitor Robert Sheridan said: “It’s regrettable that I would seek to adjourn at this stage due to his commitments.”
JP Derek Cochrane continued the trial to a third day on September 20.
The charge against Griffiths alleges that on June 3 2017 at Kingsway West, Dundee, near the Myrekirk roundabout, Griffiths drove at 62mph in a 50mph zone.