Criminal proceedings continued at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday against Scottish gamekeeper Stanley Gordon.
Mr Gordon, 60, of Cabrach, Moray, is facing a charge in connection with the alleged shooting of a hen harrier in June 2013. He has denied the charge.
Here is the timeline of court proceedings so far:
Hearing #1 (19 May 2016): Case continued without plea until 16 June 2016.
Hearing #2 (16 June 2016): Case continued without plea until 14 July 2016.
Hearing #3 (14 July 2016): Case continued without plea until 11 August 2016.
Hearing #4 (11 August 2016): Case continued without plea until 1 September 2016.
Hearing #5 (1 September 2016): Mr Gordon enters a not guilty plea. A provisional trial date is set for 19 December 2016, with an intermediate diet set for 18 November 2016.
Hearing #6 (18 November 2016): Case adjourned for another intermediate diet on 2 December 2016.
Hearing #7 (2 December 2016). Provisional trial date of 19 December is dumped. Case adjourned for another intermediate diet on 10 February 2017.
Hearing #8 (10 February 2017). Case adjourned for another intermediate diet on 21 March 2017. New provisional trial date set for 15 May 2017.
Hearing #9 (21 March 2017). Case adjourned due to joint motion from both prosecution and defence to review recent disclosure. Another intermediate diet set for 21 April 2017. The provisional trial date of 15 May 2017 will be dependent on what happens at the hearing on 21 April.
UPDATE 21 April 2017: All proceedings dropped (see here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
Although I am looking forward to the date [of the trial] who is footing the bill for this saga?
[Ed: comment edited slightly to avoid defamation. Please note, it is for the court to decide the innocence or guilt of the accused]
[Ed: comment deleted, not prepared to publish that at this stage of legal proceedings]
[Ed: libellous comment deleted]
Are we allowed to ask what the recent disclosure is?
Joint motion probably doesn’t reveal details (which would probably be sub judice to report anyway)
I don’t know what the recent disclosure was, but my understanding is that the admissibility of video evidence is one issue which seems to have arisen.
They’re literally taking the proverbial piss.