Former gamekeeper tells court he 'did not get on' with alleged murder victim

A former gamekeeper told a jury that he “did not get on” with the man he is accused of murdering.

David Campbell, 77, allegedly killed Brian Low, 65, at the Leafy Lane near to the Pitilie Track close to Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, on February 16, 2024.

Campbell denies the allegation and has lodged a special defence of alibi.

The court heard from Campbell, who stated in his evidence that he was the head keeper at the Edradynate estate.

He claimed that the shooting of pheasants and partridges took place on the estate 35 times per year.

Campbell was asked by his KC Tony Lenehan about his relationship with Mr Low, who also worked on the estate.

Campbell said: “We didn’t speak to each other.”

When asked about a comment he allegedly made that he “hated” Mr Low, Campbell replied: “No.”

Mr Lenehan asked: “Did you speak to him?”

Campbell replied: “Not even a shouting match – we didn’t get on. He didn’t like me, and I didn’t like him.”

Campbell refuted the claim that he said he would “harm” groundsman Mr Low, whom he described as being “really good” at his job.

Mr Lenehan previously asked his client if he had made threats to other people between 1995 and 2012.

Campbell admitted telling a wildlife police officer: “Vermin you see when you don’t have a gun in your hand.”

He denied a claim that he would shoot the estate’s handyman, as well as another man and his partner.

Jurors earlier heard a timeline of Campbell’s movement around the day of Mr Low’s alleged murder.

The joint minute of agreed evidence stated that Campbell placed duct tape on his video doorbell that morning.

Three hours later, his home’s CCTV was manually shut down.

Minutes after that, Campbell removed the duct tape from the doorbell camera, which he discussed with his daughter by phone.

Around an hour later, at 11.10am, Campbell returned the duct tape to the camera.

Footage from the doorbell camera does not resume until 7.32pm where the rear house door is seen to be closed from the inside.

Minutes after, Campbell is spotted wearing a boiler suit going out the same door.

In another joint minute, a now-dead man, Peter Fullard, purchased an air rifle for Campbell in May 2017, after he had been refused a firearms certificate earlier that year.

A senior forensic scientist for the Scottish Police Association also told the court that Mr Low was hit with the “business end” of a shotgun between 19 and up to 45 metres away.

The trial, before Lord Scott and now a jury of 14 people, continues tomorrow.