Eight men appeared in court yesterday accused of murdering a dad in Fraserburgh.
John Henderson, 47, Gary Martin, 37, Joseph Martin, 40, Thomas Martin, 45, all deny murdering 39-year-old Gary Clampett by hitting him with knives, a machete, a sword, a chain, a hammer and a crowbar on June 18.
David Graham, 46, Barry Martin, 32, James Connor 52, and 25-year-old Dean Leech also deny the charge, which was alleged to have been carried out at Fernie Place in Fraserburgh, and is also claimed to have involved the use of a wrench, bats, golf clubs and poles.
Graham also denies committing a breach of the peace on May 27 at Fernie Place, Fraserburgh, by making threatening remarks to Mr Clampett and brandishing a sword at him.
Henderson and Thomas, Joseph and Gary Martin deny assaulting Sharon Clampett, who was previously known as Sharon Graham, on the same street.
Mr Clampett married his wife in the summer of 2016 and the couple lived in the village of Crimond. They had become the parents of a baby girl shortly before he died in the fishing town in the early hours of June 18.
He was believed to have moved to north east of Scotland from Dunfermline a few years before he died.
The dad had set up a handyman business in the area.
Following his death, his wife, a fish filleter, said “no words can describe” how she was feeling in the wake of her “darling” husband’s death.
Her son also paid tribute to her husband on a social media site.
Gordon Graham described Mr Clampett as a “legend” in the post.
He wrote: “You always protected me and had my back no matter what.
“I always had yours and I still will. I’ll always look after your baby daughter and your sons. You were a legend. There was nothing bad about you.”
Judge Lady Rae set a trial date for February 26, next year.
The trial is expected at the High Court in Glasgow is expected to last 20 days.