FORMER Partick Thistle player Ade Aeez has been cleared hitting a cyclist and driving off.
Mr Azeez, 24, currently a player with Cambridge United, was accused of hitting Robert McKelvie 51, with such force that a wing mirror came off.
A car was clocked speeding along Haggs Road in Glasgow’s Shawlands area - which has a 30mph limit.
Mr McKelvie described the white car travelling at “pretty much top speed” before it hit his handlebar.
A witness in the car behind, Janet Anderson, noted the registration.
She told the court the car was OU64 SGJ and thought it was an Audi.
Mr Azeez later confirmed to the police he was the driver of white Mercedes OV64 SGJ, on the day of the alleged incident at Haggs Road.
Sheriff Andrew Mackie upheld a submission by defence lawyer Joseph MacPherson that there was no case to answer after Ms Anderson noted a different registration to Azeez’s car, and different model.
The sheriff acquitted Azeez of driving at speed, failing to react to Mr McKelvie and hitting his bike then failing to stop, on October 24, 2016.
He said: "I'm not satisfied in terms of what has been said by the witness Janet Anderson.
"She has not taken the registration number OV64 SGJ, she has also described the car as a different model."
Security guard Mr McKelvie said: "I was going towards home and a car passed by me and it hit my handlebar.
"It went that fast I couldn't even tell the colour of the car or what make the car was or who was driving."
Procurator fiscal depute Jonathon Kemp asked: "When this happened, what happened to you?"
Mr McKelvie replied: "Lucky enough I didn't fall off, I just wobbled.
"I managed to stay on the bike itself."
The witness described the car as going at "pretty much top speed".
He said the wing mirror from the car was handed to him by a passing motorist who stopped.
Asked what force he was hit with he said: "It hit me with a bit of force for the mirror to come off.”
Ms Anderson, 69, told the court she was a passenger in her friend Valerie's car at the time and saw the white car undertake them at speed.
She said: “There was a thump, a loud bang, I was aware of something going over the top of Valerie’s car.”
Ms Anderson said it was a wing mirror and she saw Mr McKelvie with it when they went to check he was okay.
Asked about the white car she said: “It came up on the inside and almost immediately pulled in front of us.
“It was then I realised there was somebody on a bicycle.”
She noted the registration number on a receipt in her bag and had the piece of paper with her giving evidence.
Ms Anderson told the court she noted OU64 SGJ and thought it was an Audi.
PC Scott McKenzie said he spoke to Mr Azeez on December 7, 2016, at his address in Shawlands to find out who was driving his car when the cyclist was hit.
The court heard Mr Azeez confirmed he was the driver of a white Mercedes on Haggs Road.
He was cautioned and charged with the alleged offence and made no reply.
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