Prosecutor’s acquittal

THE case of senior prosecutor Anne Hart sends out so many wrong signals that it is little wonder there has been such a hostile reaction from anti-drink-drive groups.

She was found slumped in her car after drinking vodka and appeared to be a potential hazard to herself and other road users. It was argued successfully by her legal team that she had no intention of driving as her car keys were in the passenger footwell and she was acquitted. It begs the question as to how many locations within a vehicle, or on a driver, for that matter, the keys can be left safely to guarantee such a watertight defence.

It seems that there have been many similar cases in the past where such defences were put forward only to be rejected out of hand by the courts.

Apart from the questionable verdict, there is also the matter of the case being heard within the court area in which Ms Hart works. Nobody is suggesting for a moment that the sheriff would have been influenced improperly by this or that he did anything other than act honourably. However, it all boils down to perception. Surely the case should have been moved to a different jurisdiction so this element would be above criticism. As for the verdict, that must be appealed immediately and tested in a higher court in the public interest.