Pair accused of murdering man who died weeks after 'street attack'

Simon Roberts, 37, and Sean McKie, 36, are accused of fatally assaulting Malcolm McCandlish in Irvine last September.

Pair accused of murdering man who died weeks after alleged street attack — Malcolm McCandlish: The 43-year-old died in hospital following the alleged attack. Gofundme

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Two men are to stand trial, charged with the murder of a man in an alleged street attack.

Simon Roberts, 37, and Sean McKie, 36, are accused of fatally assaulting Malcolm McCandlish on High Street in Irvine last September 24.

Prosecutors claim Mr McCandlish was punched, grabbed by the body and repeatedly headbutted.

It is also said the 43-year-old was pulled to the ground and kicked in the head as he lay there.

The murder charge states Mr McCandlish was left so badly hurt that he passed away at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on October 14, 2024.

Roberts and McKie are separately accused of assaulting another man to his injury and permanent disfigurement on the same date and place as the alleged killing.

The pair are further said to have been threatening and abusive as well as having made offensive remarks elsewhere in Irvine.

McKie alone is also charged with assaulting two women and repeatedly hitting a dog with a guitar.

The case called for a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow where defence lawyers pleaded not guilty on the duo’s behalf.

Lord Clark set a trial, and it is scheduled to begin in late March 2026.