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| Labour MP Marie Rimmer cleared of attacking Yes campaigner | Labour MP Marie Rimmer cleared of attacking Yes campaigner |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Labour MP has been cleared of attacking a Yes campaigner in Glasgow on the day of the Scottish independence referendum two years ago. | |
| St Helens South and Whiston MP Marie Rimmer, 69, faced two charges following an incident outside Shettleston Community Centre on 18 September 2014. | St Helens South and Whiston MP Marie Rimmer, 69, faced two charges following an incident outside Shettleston Community Centre on 18 September 2014. |
| On Tuesday she was cleared of a charge of abusive or threatening behaviour. | |
| She has now been cleared of assaulting a woman by kicking her, after a sheriff found the case against her not proven. | |
| 'Storm in a teacup' | |
| The trial, at Glasgow Sheriff Court, in front of Sheriff Kenneth Hogg, started in April and concluded on Wednesday after a number of adjournments. | |
| Sheriff Hogg said he was "astonished" by some of the evidence in the case, describing it as a "storm in a tea cup". | |
| He said a lack discretion available to the police on the day of the referendum was "very disappointing", suggesting a "yellow card would have been preferable to a red" in the matter. | |
| He said: "I am not clear any party in this case, apart from the lady police officer, has told me what really happened on that day. | |
| "I have unease with the whole evidence and am still unable to form a clear picture." | |
| The sheriff said he found the case not proven and told Ms Rimmer she was free to go. | |
| Speaking outside court following her acquittal, Ms Rimmer said: "I know what happened that day. I'm clear what happened that day. | |
| "I've been acquitted today. I just want to get on with life now. I've answered the charges." | |
| Ms Rimmer was elected to Westminster in 2015 with a majority of more than 20,000, and had previously served as a local councillor for decades. |