A jury has been urged to acquit two men accused of taking part in an armed robbery at a north-east home.
Slessor Buchan and Scott Fowler are alleged to have targeted Colin Verral at his property in Fraserburgh in January this year.
The duo are accused of demanding drugs and money, pointing a gun into Mr Verral’s face, shooting it into the ceiling, kneeing him and taking money and an iPhone, while acting with others.
During the course of the trial Mr Verral said he did not know whether he was “alive or dead” and while he said the build of the men matched the two accused he was unable to identify them as those responsible.
Later in the proceedings LeeAnn Shaw, who is serving a year in prison for being involved in the robbery, said she knocked on the door and three men jumped her from behind before carrying out the assault using a gun.
But when pressed to say who they were she was unable to say.
And yesterday representing Buchan, defence counsel Derick Nelson said there was not enough evidence for the jury of ten women and five men to convict his client.
He said it was unlikely Buchan and Slessor would have treated Miss Shaw in the way they did given she said she was also robbed and she had been living with Buchan in the build-up to the alleged robbery.
He said: “Just think. Does that sound right if it is Slessor Buchan, a friend with who she was living, or does that offend your common sense?”
And on behalf of Fowler, defence counsel David Moggach also urged the jury to acquit his client.
He said: “What we do not have is two eye witness accounts saying that Scott Fowler was one of the robbers.
“What we have is Colin Verral describing an orange mask and a blue and black mask and another white and black mask worn by the robbers.
“He was asked in court ‘Do you see people resembling the build of robbers?’ and he said yes, the stocky one is Mr Fowler, the other was Mr Buchan, but he was at pains to tell you from the witness box that he was not sure.”
Buchan, 39, and Fowler, 37, deny the charges against them.
The trial, before Lord Uist, continues.
