A senior prosecutor has told a jury that two men were “actively involved” in attacking a group of motorcyclists with a car in Moray.
Andrew Bowen QC said evidence showed that Ian Ewing, 44, and Patrick Noble, 52, had participated in an incident on the A98 near Cullen in 2018.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Bowen say yesterday that the two men attempted to murder Colin Sutherland by driving a car at him.
He also said the pair had assaulted John Sutherland, Edward Forrest and another motorcyclist called Nicky Syratt.
Mr Bowen said: “You can be satisfied that Colin Sutherland was assaulted when a car was a driven towards him.
“The act of driving a motor car towards a motorcycle at speed shows wicked recklessness towards the person on the bike.
“Ian Ewing and Mr Noble were were actively involved in a joint purpose.
“Their purpose was to severely injure him.”
The advocate depute made the claims during the sixth day of proceedings against the pair.
He spoke shortly after he dropped charges against Kyle Urquhart, 22, and 57-year-old Ian Yeomans. The two men had previously been accused alongside Mr Ewing and Mr Noble of participating in the alleged attack.
Mr Ewing, of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, and Mr Noble, of Aberdeen, deny charges of attempted murder and assault to severe injury and assault to the danger of life.
Yesterday, Mr Bowen told jurors they could be satisfied of the two men’s guilt by looking at the evidence which had been put before them.
Mr Bowen said that when police stopped the car allegedly used to assault Colin Sutherland, Mr Ewing was in the driver’s seat.
The lawyer said that when police officers searched the vehicle which was allegedly used, they found a hammer underneath a passenger’s seat.
Mr Bowen said that the DNA of both Mr Ewing and Mr Noble was found on the implement.
He said that an examination of the hammer showed that it matched an indentation which had been left on Mr Forrest’s helmet.
He added: “The crime committed by Mr Ewing and Mr Noble was part of a common criminal endeavour.”
Mr Ewing’s advocate Susan Duff told the jury that there was enough reasonable doubt to acquit her client.
Mrs Duff told the jurors: “Let him leave here in the same way he walked into court on the first day of the trial – an innocent man.”
Prosecutors claim that on September 8 2018 the two men assaulted Colin Sutherland, drove a car at him, collided with him “at speed”.
Prosecutors say they then repeatedly struck Mr Sutherland with a claw hammer, a tyre iron and a baseball bat before repeatedly kicking him on the body.
It’s claimed they then cut Mr Sutherland’s clothing with a knife and that they attempted to murder him.
Prosecutors also claim that they also assaulted John Sutherland, Mr Forrest and Mr Syratt.
The trial continues today when Mr Noble’s counsel David Moggach will address the jury.
Lady Scott will then give her legal directions to the jury.
