The brother of a man who was knocked down and killed by a car has slammed the 'callous cowards' who have escaped prosecution despite leaving him for dead.
George Robertson, 53, when he was struck by a vehicle, believed to be a Nissan Qashqai, as he walked along the B792 between Bathgate and Torphichen in West Lothian.
The collision on September 20, 2020 left the dad-of-two dying in the road.
When his family got to the scene, the vehicle and its occupants had already fled.
George, known fondly as Mojo, died in hospital hours later.
His brother David spearheaded appeals to trace the occupants of the car, even offering a £10,000 reward for information.
And the family were given hope that justice would prevail when a man and a woman were arrested in July last year in connection with the crash.
Investigators assembled evidence allegedly linking the pair to the scene, including mobile phone and bank account records.
They even identified and examined the vehicle they were in with the help of Nissan in Sunderland.
However, the Crown Office has ruled out pursuing a prosecution because of a lack of "admissible evidence" - as those accused have refused to speak to police.
Speaking to the Record, David said: "It's absolutely astonishing.
"The police built up evidence to charge these people with causing the death of my brother, but they can't charge them.
"It's astonishing that the legal system in Scotland can't get answers if somebody wants to hit and cause the death of another person.
"It's so unfair. We don't know what to do.
"All of this pain because they said 'no comment'."
In a letter to the family issued last week just one day before what would have been George's 55th birthday, the Crown Office said an appeal against the decision not to prosecute - originally made last year - had failed with no further route of appeal, leaving the family bereft.
David believes the issue around prosecution is Scotland's famously strict legal system, which requires proof "beyond reasonable doubt" that someone has committed a crime to secure a conviction.
A single piece of evidence is not enough to convict in Scottish courts.
In a cruel twist of fate, the occupants of the Qashqai are the only people who know what truly happened that night.
David added: "They've left my brother to die and it's like they've gotten away with it. In fact, they have gotten away with it.
"To leave two kids without a father, and our mum is a shell of who she was - I don't know how they can live with themselves.
"George hit a dog while driving about four years ago - it ran out into the road - and he took it to the vets.
"He was so guilt-ridden he took it to the owners, and wanted to pay the vet bills.
"How he can do that for an animal, and these people can't do the same for a human being, I don't know. They're subhuman.
"Nothing will bring George back. But we want to be able to say 'this is who these people are'."
In a direct appeal to the driver of the car he added: "We're going to get justice.
"You left a man to die in the road.
"You know it was wrong. You are callous and you are cowards."
The Scottish Government is consulting on the future of corroboration as part of its wider discussion on whether to remove the not proven verdict from the legal system.
However, it does not change the situation for the Robertson family, who are still without answers as to George's final moments.
They are meeting with lawyers next week to discuss the possibility of another legal route, such as a private prosecution or a civil lawsuit as a direct alternative to prosecution. Both are rare in Scottish courts.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office said: "Our thoughts are with the family of George Robertson at what must be a difficult time for them.
"The Procurator Fiscal received a report relating to a man and woman in connection with an incident said to have taken place on 20 September 2020.
"After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, Crown Counsel decided there should be no proceedings taken at this time.
"Crown Office officials have met with the family to discuss the case with them.
"The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available."
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