A man who initially admitted having cocaine at T in the Park has had the charge against him dropped because of a mix-up between the police and prosecutors.
Oil worker Callum France was cleared after a police officer failed to turn up to give evidence against him or bring the Crown productions to court.
The Crown tried to have the trial postponed, telling Perth Sheriff Court something “had gone wrong somewhere down the line”.
But a sheriff refused the motion to adjourn the case and France walked free.
It then emerged that he had formally admitted the offences by letter last year, only to withdraw his guilty pleas after taking legal advice.
He originally admitted possessing cocaine worth around £200 and a small amount of cannabis at T in the Park on July 13 last year.
France, 23, of Blairview, Boghead, Denny, pleaded guilty on November 12 and sentence was deferred for him to appear personally on November 26.
However, at the stage he was allowed to withdraw the plea and enter a not guilty plea instead.
A scheduled trial on April 25 was adjourned because one of the Crown’s civilian witnesses failed to show up.
The case called in court on two further occasions before a second trial date on Monday, when depute fiscal Jim Eodanable asked for the case to be adjourned again.
Mr Eodanable said: “The police officer was supposed to be here today but he is not. He was supposed to be here with the productions today.
“For some reason the message hasn’t gone down the line properly.”
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, opposed the motion to adjourn and said France had already been forced to put off new jobs because the case was hanging over him.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said in the circumstances he would refuse to adjourn the case again.
He told France: “The case is deserted simpliciter and that is the end of the matter.”