Three men have denied murdering a north-east dad outside an Aberdeen city centre night club.
Kiel Hauley, 33, Jonas Marcius, 23, and Adrian Morley, 33, are accused of murdering Craig Grant between August 8 and 9, 2013, outside Tonik in the city’s Bon Accord Street.
Prosecutors allege the trio assaulted Mr Grant at the entrance to the Galleria Shopping Centre.
The Crown claims they seized him by the neck, forced him to the ground, struck him on the head and body, placed him in a neck hold or choke hold and compressed his neck.
Prosecutors also claim they knelt on his back and compressed his chest before seizing him by the legs and holding him down on the ground.
It is also alleged that they restricted his breathing and they asphyxiated him.
Morley, of 35A Ashvale Place, Aberdeen, pled not guilty to the charge against him when the trio went on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen yesterday.
Both his co-accused also denied the allegations and senior counsels Brian McConnachie QC and Mark Stewart QC for Hauley, of 16a Printfield Walk, Aberdeen, and Marcius, of 16a Merkland Road, Aberdeen, have lodged special defences for their clients of self defence.
Yesterday jurors were read a joint minute of agreement before the trial was adjourned for administrative matters to be taken care of.
Witnesses are expected to be called today to start giving evidence. The case is expected to last up to three weeks.
Contained in the joint minute, which was read aloud to the jury yesterday, was information stating that books of photographs had been agreed as evidence by all lawyers involved in the case.
The court heard that photographs had been taken at the Galleria Shopping Centre in Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Street where Mr Grant was allegedly murdered.
Various photographs were also taken of the city’s Tonik cafe bar and of Mr Grant and his belongings at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The trial, before Lady Wolfe, continues today.
