CHARGES against a stabbing victim have been dropped after witnesses failed to turn up.

Matthew Page - known as Matthew Lowther - stood trial at Kirklees Magistrates' Court today to face three charges.

Two of them were for allegedly using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress and racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress using words.

But the case against Lowther, 20, was dismissed, with no evidence offered.

The 20-year-old was fighting for his life last October after being slashed across the stomach and stabbed in the torso by Sheryar Khan, who was just 16 at the time, in John Street after a night out.

But his best friend, 19-year-old Kian Tordoff - who he paid loving tribute to - was killed by Khan in the "ferocious" knife attack on October 10 last year, after suffering five or six knife wounds.

The psychotic murderer faced a murder and manslaughter charge in a six-week trial last June and July, alongside five other males.

Khan was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison for the murder of Mr Tordoff and eight years concurrently for the wounding with intent of Lowther.

His brother Arbaz Khan was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Mr Tordoff and given a consecutive sentence of 3 years for the unlawful wounding of Lowther.

Mohammed Adil Hussain was sentenced to 7.5 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Mr Tordoff and a given consecutive sentence of 18 months for the unlawful wounding of Lowther.

The case against Lowther today related to when the murder trial was ongoing, the court heard.

The two witnesses to give evidence in relation to the charges were Mohammed Shakiel and Farnaz Khan.

But the prosecution explained neither had turned up to court.

Mr Shakiel did not answer his phone or relay a message back when the prosecution attempted to contact him and Ms Khan claims her doctor had told her to stay at home because she has a temperature, the court heard.

The prosecution put forward an application for an adjournment of the case for the witnesses to attend but Lowther’s defence opposed this.

His defence lawyer explained Lowther had moved out of the area because of the case and that the trial was set up by the court to make sure it was dealt with in a reasonable time.

He put forward that Mr Shakiel had gone incommunicado, and that Ms Khan should have a doctor’s note if she was too ill to attend which could have been sent to the court “with all the modern contraptions” available but it had received nothing.

The defence lawyer said: “I would suggest this is a witness who is not trying to get to court.”

He added: “The prosecution witnesses are well aware they have a court date.

“They’ve not attended court today to give evidence.”

He also suggested to the court there is no guarantee the witnesses would turn up if the case was adjourned, or even tell the prosecution they would not be attending.

The defence lawyer said: “This man is facing these serious charges.

“He has denied them from the very outset when he was spoken to by police.

“He’s come today to seek justice, seek a trial to get a result today.”

He added that it had all taken a toll on Lowther’s health and mental health and that the reasons given for an adjournment were not satisfactory.

The magistrate denied an adjournment and the prosecution in response offered no evidence and the case was dismissed.