£500,000 money with menaces trial halted

A JUDGE has stopped a trial in which an international finance expert alleged he was beaten up over a £500,000 debt by a Burnley hotel boss and two associates.

Lord Brailsford halted proceedings against Mohammed Asjad (40), of Reedley Road, Burnley, Mark Putterill (36), of Colne Road, Brierfield, and Ian Williams (49), of Station Road, Padiham, on Thursday at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The judge had decided to stop the case because of legal issues.

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But the prosecution against the three men will resume in March.

The trio are accused of beating Robert Cox (59) at his home in Dunfermline, Fife, in November 2010 and trying to extort 3,187,618 United Arab Emirate Dirhams from him.

Mr Asjad, whose company RMA Developments owns the Keirby Hotel, alleged that the cash – roughly £500,000 – was owed to him by Mr Cox, a Scots-based Indian citizen.

The court had earlier heard that Mr Cox had acted as a “facilitator” for Mr Asjad to buy property in the United Arab Emirates.

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Lord Brailsford heard legal arguments from the three accused men’s legal teams who argued that the case be halted.

They said an issue had emerged during the current case which meant the prosecution could not proceed any further at this point in time.

The judge agreed with the representations made by the defence teams and dismissed the jury who had heard five days worth of evidence.

But Lord Brailsford allowed prosecutors to continue with the case against the three men

The case will be heard at the High Court in Edinburgh on March 7th when it is expected a date for trial will be arranged. The defendants have been excused from attending the court on that date.