Murder accused 'believed he would get arrested'

A former head gamekeeper accused of murdering a man believed he "would get arrested" for the killing, a court has heard.

David Campbell was said to have made the remark to a person he knew from working on an estate in Aberfeldy as he believed police "did not have anywhere else to go".

Campbell is accused of killing Brian Low while he walked his dog on a footpath in Leafy Lane, Aberfeldy on 16 February, 2024.

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

Jurors heard a police statement from Peter Fullard read out on the fifth day of the trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The court heard Fullard, who has since died, got to know Campbell from making shooting trips to the Edradynate Estate, where both Campbell and Brian Low had once worked.

They remained in contact after Campbell left there in February 2018.

Fullard, who was a builder, had also worked on an extension to the ex-gamekeeper's home.

The court heard Fullard stated that he was "surprised" at learning Campbell had been held for the death of Low, who had previously been a groundsman at the estate.

Fullard had never seen the men in the company of each other.

He also recalled to detectives that he would speak to Campbell on the phone mainly about football, before he was charged.

Fullard added Campbell "had not spoken about the murder".

The witness continued: "The only thing he said to me was that he would get arrested at some point as the police did not have anywhere else to go and that If he was going to kill Brian, he would have done it on Edradynate years ago."

DC Greg Irvine - one of the officers who took the statement in July 2024 - read the document to jurors.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell asked the detective if Fullard gave any dates as to when Campbell made these comments to him.

DC Irvine replied he did not but later agreed it was "common sense" that this conversation took place prior to Campbell's home being searched and his arrest.

Fullard, in his statement, also described Campbell as a "good shot" and that he "knows how to handle weapons".

The witness told police that he had been a gamekeeper at "one of the best estates in the area, so he needs to be good".

Fullard further stated he believed Campbell had previously had firearms seized following a police search.

Fullard said he did not know why, as Campbell "was a man of few words," although he had spoken about being "stitched up".

As well as the murder charge, Campbell faces a separate charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

This includes a claim that he attended Crighton's Cycles in Blairgowrie to have two replacement tyres fitted on an electronic bike allegedly used by him in the killing of Mr Low.

Janette Crighton, who runs the shop with her husband Ian, told the trial that a stocky man with a "weather-beaten face" came in on the morning of 17 February, 2024 asking about changing tyres on a bike that he had.

Farrell asked the witness: "Did he explain why?"

Crighton replied: "He explained that it was his wife's bike and that she was going out the next weekend to the forest. He wanted it done within the week."

She believed the tyres already on the bike were "okay" and "suitable" for that type of cycling.

Farrell asked: "Did you say that they would do what his wife wanted," and Crighton replied that they would.

The advocate depute asked: "They were not worn or damaged?"

She replied: "No, he asked me if he could get something that was slightly wider."

Crighton's husband, who had been on holiday with their son when the man visited that morning, carried out the work on the bike later that week.

The person then came to collect it and was also given the old tyres back as they were considered "best" for that type of bike.

During cross examination, Campbell's lawyer Tony Lenehan KC asked Crighton: "The man who came in gave his name as David Campbell?"

She replied: "Yes"

Jurors later heard from a friend of Campbell, who had been in his company on the day of the alleged murder.

Retired oil worker Patrick Spicer knew him from attending local bowling clubs together.

The pair had been working on repairing a wooden bridge damaged by Storm Babet.

Asked how he was that day, Spicer said: "The same David Campbell I have always known."

The witness confirmed that he "did not seem out of the ordinary".

Spicer described his friend as someone who "did not like people who did not play by the rules".

Spicer said that, even at bowls, Campbell was a person who "wanted to win fair".

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 killing and was instead at home in Aberfeldy.

Campbell denies all the charges.

The trial before Lord Scott continues.