Court dismisses Higgins' girl

The girlfriend of snooker legend Alex Higgins was freed by a court yesterday after a charge that she had wounded him was dropped for lack of evidence.

Holley Haise, 34, of Clifton, Swinton, Greater Manchester, had been charged with unlawfully wounding the former world champion with intent to cause grievous bodily harm earlier this year. Appearing in court under the surname Croucher, she was freed after a two-minute hearing at Salford magistrates' court in which the prosecution applied for a discharge because there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Higgins, who was found by police on 15 August lying dazed and covered in blood near his girlfriend's house, was not in court.