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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Bart Dickson

Scots dog breeder who was shot in face hunted by cops after failing to appear in court

A dog breeder who was shot in the face is being hunted by police after failing to appear in court as a witness.

Scott Bennett, 40, is alleged to have been threatened by Andreas Garifalou, 34, and John McDuff, 37, in Strathaven, Lanarkshire.

Prosecutors claim both men behaved in a threatening and abusive manner which was likely to cause Bennett fear or alarm at his Platinum Vets and K9 Fertility Clinic.

It is further alleged the men uttered threats of violence to Bennett and acted in an aggressive manner in January this year.

Garifalou, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, and McDuff, of Glasgow, deny any wrongdoing and were due to go on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

But the case was delayed after Bennett, of Strathaven, failed to turn up to give evidence against both men.

A warrant was issued for his arrest by Sheriff Douglas Brown.

Depute fiscal Alice Carey said: "There is a Crown motion to adjourn this matter, there is one civilian witness who has been personally cited to attend but has not done so.

"I'm seeking a warrant for Mr Bennett because of his failure to attend today."

The trial was postponed until December.

Bennett was left with a bullet lodged in his neck after being blasted outside a vet surgery in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, in 2018.

He managed to drive from the scene to a nearby restaurant.

He opened Platinum Vets and K9 Fertility Clinic in a former bank branch in Strathaven last year as his dog fertility business expanded.

Bennett was given the green light by the Scottish Government to operate a kennel complex on his Brae Farm near Strathaven.

South Lanarkshire Council had rejected a move for retrospective planning permission for the kennels but the ruling was overturned by a government reporter.

Police Scotland confirmed enquiries into the shooting are still ongoing.

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