FOUR brothers facing murder charges were freed on bail after a prosecutors' error halted their trial.

The High Court in Glasgow heard 121 statements were not disclosed by the prosecution to defence counsel until the trial began.

So Lord Bracadale called a temporary halt to the proceedings and set the four free, pending a new trial early next year.

Relatives of Michael Lynch, 29, of Kennedar Drive, Linthouse, who, it is alleged, was stabbed to death by the four and another man who was already on bail, were angry as the four walked from court.

A family friend, said: "It is beyond belief that a mistake by the Crown that they should allow the four accused, who have been in custody on a murder charge since the end of June, to be freed."

It was the third murder trial in a few weeks to be halted for the same non-disclosure reasons.

The problem was first identified last month in a trial before Lord Hardie who made a legal order requiring the Crown to hand all statements in the case to the defence team within 24 hours.

When the Crown failed to do so, the judge threatened to hold Scotland's new Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC in contempt of court.

Lord Bracadale, who said the Crown's failings were "lamentable" told the jury they were being discharged and added: "Statements are usually disclosed at an early stage well before the trial.

"In this case there has been a serious breakdown in arrangements."

The five accused of murdering Mr Lynch near his home on June 23 are Christopher Donohoe, 16, and brothers, Craig, 21, Graham, 19, Mark, 18, and 16-year-old Andrew Hulley.

They were ordered to be tagged, curfewed between 7pm and 7am and are banned from Linthouse.