Man acquitted of murder outside Hearts supporters club

A MAN has been acquitted of murdering a male near a Hearts supporters club after prosecutors withdrew the charge against him.

Two men continue to stand trial for the alleged murder. Picture; Google

Liam Tierney,20, was told that he’d no longer be standing trial for allegedly murdering Mark Squires in Edinburgh last October.

Prosecutors at the High Court in Edinburgh decided to withdraw the charge against Mr Tierney on Thursday.

Judge Lord Tyre then formally acquitted Mr Tierney, also of Edinburgh, of the allegation.

Two men continue to stand trial for the alleged murder of Mr Squires on October 22 2017 at Burnside Lane near Longstone Road.

Nico Allan, 24, and Aiden Welsh,25, both of Edinburgh, deny murdering Mr Squires and other charges.

Prosecutors claim that Mr Allan and Mr Welsh repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Squires head and body.

The two men are alleged to have “caused” Mr Squires head to “strike off a wall” and that they then struck him over the head with a glass bottle.

The crown claim that Mr Allan and Mr Welsh severely injured Mr Squires and that they murdered him.

Prosecutors also claim that on the same date and at the same location, the duo repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Squires’s friend Charles Murray on the head and body.

The two men also allegedly fought with people “unknown’ to the prosecutor at a nearby location on the same night of the alleged murder.

Mr Welsh is also accused of taking the shoes he was wearing at the time he allegedly attacked Mr Squires and spraying them with bleach at a house in Edinburgh’s Balgreen Gardens.

Prosecutors say he did this with the intention of attempting to “defeat the ends of justice”.

The Crown also claims that between October 22 2017 and October 24 2017, at an address in Edinburgh, Mr Allan attempted to defeat the ends of justice.

He is said to have tried to get a woman called Chloe Adams and his co accused Mr Welsh to tell police officers that they didn’t see him strike Mr Squires with a bottle.

The Crown allege that he did this with the intention of avoiding “detection, arrest and prosecution.”

Both Mr Allan and Mr Welsh have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In relation to the murder allegation, the two men have lodged special defences of self defence.

The trial, before judge Lord Tyre, continues.