An evidential hearing has been fixed for a man who admitted cleaning a crime scene with bleach – after the prosecution and defence could not agree on the extent of his involvement.
Robert Snelling, 24, previously pled guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by cleaning the crime scene with bleach and other products and arranging for others to assist.
The crime scene in question was the site of a vicious assault in which Snelling’s co-accused, Adam Oakes, known as Roberts, 29, “chopped up a kid’s leg like Rambo” with a machete in a row over money.
The offence happened at an address on North Anderson Drive in the city on June 17.
Roberts, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, was previously handed an extended sentence with four-and-a-half years in prison and a further two years on licence, after admitting assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment.
Sentence had been deferred on Snelling, of King Street, Aberdeen, but it has now emerged the Crown and the defence could not reach an agreement on the extent to which he was involved in the clean-up operation.
Defence agent Peter Shepherd stated his client had not actually been involved with the physical cleaning up, using bleach and powder, but had told others to do it.
However, the crown’s version of events had Snelling himself using the cleaning materials to destroy evidence.
Mr Shepherd said: “The situation is he fully accepts that he did wrong in cleaning up. He got the co-accused who actually committed the assault to do X, Y and Z.”
After an adjournment to clarify the crown’s position, fiscal depute Anne MacDonald told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “I have read the papers and detailed notes from my colleague who prepared the narrative.
“The Crown narrative is what we are maintaining is the correct position.
“There’s not anything that I can change or would wish to change in the Crown narrative.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “I suppose that creates a situation then unless Mr Shepherd changes his position the court is left with no alternative but to fix a proof of mitigation.”
Mr Shepherd agreed.
The sheriff told Snelling: “The contrast between the two accounts is quite stark and would need to be resolved through the leading of evidence.”
He fixed a hearing for later this month.
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