The Crown will not appeal against a decision to allow a pensioner accused of kicking an expectant mother in the stomach to walk free from court.
Karate master Karl Felber, 67, went on trial at Aberdeen’s justice of the peace court earlier this year accused of punching Kirstyn McGregor to the head and kicking her to the body.
His wife Adrienne, 70, was also accused of shouting and swearing at the 21-year-old, but the charge against her was dropped after the first day of evidence.
The case against Mr Felber then collapsed the following week after the Crown failed to corroborate its case.
At the time fiscal depute Pauline Oakley told the court the Crown would be appealing against the decision.
However, last night a Crown Office spokesman said: “After full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances in this case, Crown Counsel instructed that there should be no appeal.”
Last night, Miss McGregor declined to comment on the development, saying she wanted to forget about her court ordeal.
She did, however, say the decision came as “no surprise” as she had no faith in the justice system.
As she gave evidence in court, the young mum broke down in tears when she described the moment she feared for her unborn baby.
She said she had been leaving the Asda on Links Road, Aberdeen, when Felber bashed into her twice with his shopping trolley.
Miss McGregor, who was 16 weeks pregnant at the time, said she turned round and swore once at him, before he swung at her head and kicked her in the stomach.
Addressing justice of the peace John Logan at the end of the Crown case, solicitor John McLeod lodged a no-case-to-answer submission and said his client had only reacted to Miss McGregor after she attempted to punch him first.
He said his client’s position was that he reacted in self-defence and pointed out that this had not been challenged by the Crown.
The justice of the peace accepted the defence’s submission and acquitted Felber.
The couple had also faced a separate charge of repeatedly driving past their former neighbour’s house in the city’s Bonnymuir Place, in Aberdeen, and posting offensive material through the letterbox in December 2013.
Alleged victim, Kwai Mo, was called to give his account but the charge was dropped after the Crown failed to lodge a Christmas card as evidence during the trial.
Following the hearing, Mr Felber, who launched Kafdo Karate club in the city in the 1980s, said: “I’m glad it is over. My wife is 70 and I’m 67, the stress has been terrible.”