Man stands trial accused of Dundee child attacks
A man is to stand trial accused of violent attacks on three children in Dundee, including beating a six-year-old boy with a belt and strangling a 12-year-old girl.
Polish national Marek Maludzinski is alleged to have committed the assaults between January and August last year.
At Dundee Sheriff Court the 42-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges, via a translating application on a phone.
The case was continued while an interpreter was arranged.
Mr Maludzinski is accused of attacking the 12-year-old girl by seizing her by the neck, compressing her throat and restricting her breathing.
He also faces a second charge of attacking a nine-year-old boy by striking him on the head.
A third charge alleges that he assaulted a six-year-old boy by repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body.
Prosecutors say he also struck him on the body with a belt to his injury.
Mr Maludzinski, from Dundee, pleaded not guilty to the three charges of assault.
He had to give instructions to his lawyer using a smart phone translation application after no translator was brought to court to interpret for him.
John Hall, defending, said: "He speaks no English and there is no interpreter. I have taken instructions this morning via an iPhone translation app."
"The Crown summary of evidence and complaint was given to him in Polish but he can't understand today's proceedings."
Sheriff Richard Davidson continued the case one week for an interpreter to come to court.