Two bouncers accused of killing a north-east dad outside a city centre bar have been cleared of murder.
Adrian Morley walked free from the High Court in Aberdeen yesterday after the Crown accepted he was not responsible for the death of Craig Grant and dropped the charge against him.
Kiel Hauley was also cleared of murder after he admitted assaulting the 26-year-old on August 8 by repeatedly attempting to punch him outside Tonik in the city’s Bon Accord Street.
The pair had been on trial for the past week alongside Jonas Marcius.
And as they were leaving the dock yesterday advocate depute James Keegan told them they had to prepare to give evidence against their former co-accused.
Marcius is still accused of murdering Mr Grant.
It is alleged he seized him by the neck and forced him to the ground, striking him on the head and body before placing him in a choke hold and compressing his neck.
He denies the charge and his counsel, Mark Stewart QC, has lodged a special defence of self defence.
Yesterday the court heard evidence from Mitzi Voase, a promotional worker, who said she had told the bouncers three times to release Mr Grant as he lay on the ground with his face going blue.
She said Mr Morley was holding Mr Grant’s legs while Hauley held him down with his hand behind his back. She said Marcius had him in a choke hold with his right arm tilting his head backwards.
She said she could hear Mr Grant choking and coughing before his face started to turn purply blue.
She said she informed the bouncers twice that he was struggling to breathe yet none of them loosened their grips.
Miss Voase said it was only after the third occasion, when she repeated herself in a “raised voice”, that they took any notice of what she had said.
The court heard that moments later Marcius, of 16A Merkland Road, Aberdeen, released Mr Grant from the choke hold and checked him for a pulse.
Miss Voase said: “I told them, ‘the boy is going blue, He can’t breathe, you are gong to have to loosen the hold around his neck”.
The court also heard she had told police after the incident that she had witnessed Marcius’s arm underneath Mr Grant’s chin and could see he was using his left hand to secure his right arm in place.
The trial has been adjourned until 2pm today in order for Mr Morley and Hauley, both 33, to be cited as witnesses and for statements to be taken from them.
Sentence on Hauley, of 16A Printfield Walk, Aberdeen, was deferred until Friday.
