THE trial of a man accused of being in unlawful possession of a knife and a screwdriver in his car has collapsed - after the WRONG evidence production was presented in court.

A police officer involved in the arrest of John Dorrian identified a blade as being that which was found in a car that had been stopped in Greenock.

But when questioned further about the object, the PC admitted that her name was not on the production label and that this particular knife was not relevant to the case.

Prosecutor Lindy Scaife immediately told the court that she would not be leading any further evidence in the case and 45-year-old Dorrian, of Ravenscraig Court, was formally found not guilty on the knife and screwdriver charges.  

Dorrian, who had been remanded in custody on the matters since April 27, had maintained his pleas of not guilty to the allegations through lawyer David Tod.

Police had stopped his car the previous evening on Inverkip Road.

A police witness told the trial: "He [Dorrian] appeared nervous and his legs were shaking. 

"I noticed some green herbal material or debris on the handbrake and tinfoil poking out of glovebox so he was detained for a search under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act."

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It had been alleged that the police found a Japanese kitchen knife within an unsealed black box, a screwdriver, and a quantity of tablets in the vehicle.

The court heard that Dorrian had explained the knife was a present for his mother and that there was a receipt was in the box, but it could not be found. 

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Dorrian had previously pleaded not guilty to driving a car without consent of the owner which was accepted by the court. 

He admitted to driving without a licence, for which he was admonished, and driving without insurance, which has led him to be disqualified for eight months. 

Solicitor Mr Tod said: "It was his foster mother's car and he was using it in family emergency. 

"He pled guilty at the first opportunity and has been in custody since April 27."