A judge today branded the trial of rock star’s son Otis Ferry farcical after being told the prosecution is not ready to start after months of preparation.

The countryside campaigner is awaiting trial for nobbling a key witness during his trial for robbery and assault.

Former Marlborough College pupil Ferry, 26, was arrested last September for perverting the course of justice and allegedly interfering with witness David Hodgkiss.

Judges refused to grant him bail four times but he was finally released from prison in January to stay with this mum Lucy Birley in London.

Wearing a dark grey suit and blue shirt, Ferry sat in amazement as a disagreement took place between the prosection, defence and judge at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Martin Picton said the prosecution case was nonsense after it emerged they were still unsure on a witness.

Ferry was arrested the day after his robbery trial was dramatically halted in September after he allegedly interfered with a key witness.

He had previously denied stealing a Samsung video camera from anti-hunt campaigner Susan Grima and assaulting Helen Ghalmi on November 21 2007 during a meeting of the Heythrop Hunt at Lower Swell near Stow-on-the-Wold, Glos.

The case has been adjourned to a date to be set.