A MURDER trial has begun for a pair accused of killing a man following an alleged head-kick assault in Irvine town centre.
Simon Roberts, 38, and Sean McKie, 37, face a charge of murdering Malcolm McCandlish, who died in hospital more than a fortnight after a reported attack on the town's High Street.
Prosecutors claim that Mr McCandlish was punched, grabbed by the body and repeatedly headbutted by the duo on September 24, 2024.
According to court papers, the 43-year-old was pulled to the ground and kicked on the head as he lay there.
The murder charge states that Mr McCandlish was left so badly hurt that he passed away at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on October 14 that year.
Roberts and McKie, both listed as prisoners at HMP Kilmarnock, also face an allegation of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner while acting together, at Kirk Vennel on the same day as the alleged fatal attack.
They are said to have shouted, swore and made offensive remarks to a woman, allegedly threatening to harm her dog and attempting to have the pet follow them.
The Crown claims that McKie then assaulted the woman, repeatedly slapping her on the face and repeatedly striking her head against a wall.
He allegedly caused unnecessary suffering to the dog owned by the woman, repeatedly striking it on the head with a guitar.
McKie then assaulted another female, according to the Crown, by slapping her on the face and attempting to slap her in the face on High Street.
Roberts and McKie are accused of assaulting another man to his injury and permanent disfigurement on the same date.
The indictment states that they repeatedly punched him on the head, dragged him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him on the head and body while on the ground.
Court papers state Roberts was out on bail at the time of the alleged offences, granted at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on September 9, 2024.
Jury members were sworn in on Tuesday and the trial, before Lady Drummond at the High Court in Glasgow, is expected to last for a week.
It was reported after his passing that a crowdfunder was set up by Mr McCandlish's father, Malcolm senior, to help pay for his son's funeral costs.
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