A HAWICK man accused of sending several videos of himself naked and performing an explicit sexual act to his female tenant has walked free at Jedburgh Sheriff Court after two witnesses failed to turn up to give evidence.

James Neil Jackson, who is 51, of Mayfield Drive, had denied causing the woman to look at a sexual image at a house in the town's Havelock Place between July 2018 and June 1 2019.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hamilton asked for an adjournment of the trial explaining two Crown witnesses - who had been cited to attend - had not turned up.

One of the women had contacted the court the day before to say she was unwell and there had been no response from the other woman.

The court was told it was the trial had been postponed on two previous occasions.

In October the trial was adjourned as the Crown had requested further time for a cyber crime report to be available and in December - when both witnesses were in attendance - court time ran out due to other cases and a new trial date was fixed for Thursday, February 20.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Clinkscale opposed the Crown motion saying her client had no previous convictions and had been anxious for the case to be resolved.

She said he was in full time employment and had again turned up only for the case to be put off.

Sheriff Janys Scott said that she had to weigh up the public interest alongside the case hanging over the head of the accused.

She said that there was no guarantee the witnesses would turn up at a future trial date.

The case was deserted simpliciter which brings a prosecution for a crime to an end without the facts being determined and means the case cannot be re-raised.