Murder trial shown accused covering doorbell camera

A murder trial has been shown footage of the accused putting duct tape over a doorbell camera at his home before his former colleague was shot dead.

David Campbell is accused of killing Brian Low on a footpath in Leafy Lane, Aberfeldy in February 2024.

A former detective told the trial a cyclist wearing similar clothing to Campbell was seen near the spot Low's body was later discovered.

Campbell, 77, denies murdering the 65-year-old dog walker by shooting him and has lodged a special defence of alibi.

He denies a total of eight charges at the High Court in Glasgow.

The jury was shown a compilation of video footage on the fourth day of the trial, gathered as part of the Operation Newlane murder inquiry.

Det Con David Gardiner was the officer in charge of putting it together.

This included a series of clips from 16 February, 2024.

Among them was Campbell leaving his home in Aberfeldy early that morning before returning shortly afterwards.

Around 07:35, Det Con Gardiner said he then assessed Campbell "appearing to cover" the doorbell camera to his home with what appeared to be duct tape.

Other footage minutes later showed him looking up towards the CCTV camera at the property.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell asked the officer: "From your understanding, is there any CCTV footage captured there after 10.09 that morning?"

Gardiner replied: "Not from the CCTV hard drive."

One of the charges against Campbell is that he disabled CCTV to conceal his whereabouts.

The court heard the doorbell camera appeared to be uncovered later that morning.

However, at 11.10, after Campbell returned home having been out with another man, a piece of duct tape was placed over the lens again.

The court was told there was no more footage recorded from the doorbell camera until around 19:30 that evening.

Another charge against Campbell alleges that he tried to defeat the ends of justice by changing the tyres of an electric bike.

Jurors have now been shown clips of a cyclist in the Aberfeldy area that day.

The individual is captured at 16:12 in what Det Con Gardiner described as a "couple of streets away" from Campbell's home.

A closer-up still of the rider and the bike at that time was also shown.

Jurors had previously been shown an image of a bicycle said to belong to Campbell's wife Elizabeth while it was outside a food bank in Aberfeldy in November 2023.

Asked by Farrell if he saw any similarities, the detective stated there was the type of light tyre trim, the mudflaps and a parcel shelf.

Returning to the CCTV footage from 16 February 2024, cameras were said to have lost sight of the cyclist between 16:18 and 17:01.

Farrell told Det Con Gardiner that the court had previously heard there was "no movement data" recorded on Brian Low's phone from 16:52 that day.

The cyclist was seen again on camera that evening.

The detective said at one stage that the individual was seen "heading in the direction" of Campbell's home.

The officer assessed that Campbell was recorded on the doorbell camera at 19:32 at his property and was said to be wearing a boiler suit that he had on earlier that day.

Low's body was discovered on the morning of 17 February next to the rural path with his black labrador Millie nearby

He had suffered gunshots wounds to his neck and chest.

Campbell, from Aberfeldy, is accused of murdering Low, having previously shown ill-will and malice toward him.

He is alleged to have disabled CCTV cameras at an address in Aberfeldy on the same day, in an attempt to conceal his whereabouts.

He is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the alleged murder weapon and an airgun, and having replacement tyres fitted on an electric bike between February and May 2024.

Campbell is further accused of possessing an air rifle without a licence and discharging it on various occasions, and faces five charges of breach of the peace dating back to July 1995.

He is alleged to have acted in a disorderly manner putting three men and two women in a "state of fear and alarm".

Campbell's legal team has lodged a special defence of alibi in connection with the murder accusation.

They say Campbell was not in Leafy Lane, where the body was found, at the time of the alleged killing and was instead at home in Aberfeldy.

The trial before Lord Scott continues.