A police officer involved in the struggle that led to the death of Sheku Bayoh may never be fit enough to stand trial on data breach allegations, a court has heard.

Nicole Short was due to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday accused of illegally accessing information on the police computer system ahead of a trial later this month.

The 30-year-old was involved in the incident that led to the death of father-of-two Mr Bayoh in police custody on Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy on May 3, 2015.

Joe Paterson, defending, told the court on Friday: "The Crown has been given psychiatric and neurological reports and had the accused assessed by their own psychiatrist.

"There are some doubts whether she can ever participate in the trial process. There may be a plea in bar of trial on the basis of her medical state."

Sheriff Grant McCulloch set a further hearing in the case for later in the month and excused Short's attendance at that sitting.

At an earlier hearing, the court was told Short had been involved in an "incident in Kirkcaldy" that had led to a "complicated medical state".

Short, of Glenrothes, Fife, pleaded not guilty on summary complaint to three charges under the Data Protection Act.

She is accused of accessing confidential information on the Police Scotland computer system in October 2012.

Short is also charged with obtaining personal data relating to two men from Fife Constabulary's Crimefile system and the Scottish Intelligence Database for non-policing purposes in a separate incident.

Mr Bayoh, 31, collapsed and died after being restrained by several officers in the Fife town.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner is conducting an investigation into the death.