A TRANENT man has walked free from court after a trial against him collapsed.

Jamie Renton was alleged to have acted in an aggressive manner towards Yvonne Levy during a confrontation at the town’s The Hedges.

Renton was complaining about the Levy family placing CCTV cameras outside their property after claims their car had been vandalised.

But residents of the street were not happy at the surveillance equipment after it emerged a man living at the property had previously been convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

Renton, of The Hedges, approached Mrs Levy and was said to have behaved aggressively and gesticulated in a threatening manner towards the woman.

It was also claimed Renton seized a mobile phone from her hand during the incident outside her home on March 23 this year.

The court heard evidence from Mrs Levy when the case was part-heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

And last Friday the hearing continued in front of Sheriff John Cook, who heard further evidence from neighbour Paul Ferguson.

Mr Ferguson, 30, said he had overheard “a verbal disagreement” between Renton and Mrs Levy near to her back door.

The NHS employee said he witnessed Renton ask for the cameras to be taken down but that it was Mrs Levy who began shouting.

Mr Renton was heard to say to Mrs Levy, “You shouldn’t have the camera there, there are kids in the area”.

Mr Ferguson said Renton had been “speaking calmly” and told the court the accused man had not been shouting and “seemed fine” while he was conversing with Mrs Levy.

Following his evidence, fiscal depute Andrew Motion said the Crown would not be calling any further witnesses and were now “not seeking a conviction”.

Sheriff Cook told Renton he was being acquitted of the allegation and was free to leave the dock.