Former Gamekeeper's Alleged 'Vermin' Remark to Policeman Revealed in Murder Trial
A retired gamekeeper standing trial for murder allegedly referred to a former police officer as "vermin" during a tense encounter years before the fatal shooting, a Scottish court has heard. David Campbell, 77, faces multiple charges including the alleged murder of Brian Low, 66, a former estate groundsman, in a case that has shocked the rural community near Aberfeldy.
Alleged Shooting and Historical Tensions
The High Court in Glasgow was told that Campbell allegedly shot Mr Low with a shotgun on February 16, 2024, on a country lane near Aberfeldy in Perthshire. Prosecutors claim Campbell had previously expressed "malice" and "ill-will" towards the victim. Mr Low sustained such severe injuries that he died at the scene on Leafy Lane near the Pitillie track.
Campbell, who has entered not guilty pleas to all eight charges against him, is also accused of threatening to shoot several other individuals. Among those allegedly threatened was Alan Stewart, a former police officer whom Campbell is said to have placed in a state of "fear and alarm" during an incident at Scone Palace in July 1995.
The 'Vermin' Remark and Wildlife Crime Investigations
The court heard detailed testimony from Mr Stewart, who served as a police officer in the Tayside area from 1966 to 1997 before working as a wildlife crime officer until 2011. He described encountering Campbell, who was then head gamekeeper at Edradynate Estate near Aberfeldy, during investigations into allegations of birds being poisoned on the estate.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell asked whether there was "a certain amount of tension" between the two men, to which Mr Stewart replied affirmatively. The witness then recounted a chance meeting with Campbell at Scone Palace while attending a game fair with his wife and granddaughter.
When asked what Campbell said to him, Mr Stewart testified: "He looked across and he said: 'It's great what vermin you see when you've not got a gun'." Mr Farrell pressed for clarification on what Campbell meant by this statement.
Mr Stewart explained: "I was the vermin, and it was not said as a joke, it was said with a bit of venom. He didn't shout, he spoke fairly loudly." The former officer added that he had become reasonably accustomed to such remarks due to the nature of his work and did not report the incident at the time, though his wife was reportedly upset by the exchange.
Additional Charges and Employment Background
Beyond the murder allegation, Campbell faces several other charges including possessing an air weapon without a certificate and discharging it on various occasions between May 2017 and February 2024. He is further accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice between February 16 and May 24, 2024, by allegedly disposing of the shotgun used in the purported murder at an unknown location.
The prosecution claims Campbell had two replacement tyres fitted on an electric bicycle allegedly used in committing the crime. Additional allegations include disposing of a box, a cartridge bag, and bicycle tyres at Aberfeldy Recycling Centre or elsewhere, and disposing of the air weapon at an unknown location. Campbell also faces five separate breach of the peace charges dating from July 1995 to September 2012.
The court heard a joint minute of agreement establishing that Campbell was employed as head gamekeeper at Edradynate Estate between May 1984 and February 2018, while Brian Low worked as a groundsman there from August 2000 to February 2023.
Medical Evidence and Trial Proceedings
Medical evidence presented to the court confirmed that Mr Low was pronounced dead at Leafy Lane by a paramedic at 9am on February 17, 2024. A post-mortem examination conducted at West Bell Street mortuary in Dundee on February 23 established that the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the neck and chest.
Campbell has formally denied all charges and lodged a notice of alibi regarding the murder allegation, claiming he was at home in Aberfeldy at the time of the alleged crime. The trial continues before Lord Scott at the High Court in Glasgow, with proceedings expected to examine further evidence in the coming days.
