AN Aberdeen lawyer has been cleared of racially abusing his wife's celebrity fitness trainer lover.

Alexander Hutcheon went on trial accused of calling Steve Agyei a "monkey" at a bar when he came to plead with his wife to come home.

It was claimed the 58-year-old whispered the offensive remark in Mr Agyei's ear after appearing with his teenage son at the Noose and Monkey pub.

But he insisted that he had gone to prove to the teenager that his wife Nicola Hutcheon was still with her lover, despite promising to return to the family.

Mr Hutcheon said that either he or his son had made remarks about the clothes worn by Cherie Blair's former trainer but denied racially abusing him on January 29.

Mr Agyei had given evidence in court that the property lawyer had spoken softly in his ear and called him a monkey, then a "tink".

Yesterday sheriff Janys Scott ruled that the word "tink" was offensive. But she stated that there was no evidence to show that anyone had suffered fear or alarm and acquitted Mr Hutcheon.