A retired gamekeeper who hunted down a former colleague and shot him dead with a shotgun has been convicted of murder. David Campbell, 77, was found guilty by a majority verdict at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, after the jury began deliberations on Monday.
The court heard that Campbell believed Brian Low, 65, had planted evidence to frame him for illegally poisoning birds of prey. On 16 February, Campbell disabled CCTV cameras at his home in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, and rode his wife's e-bike to confront Low on a quiet country lane. He was carrying a shotgun and wearing a hooded jacket.
Low was walking his dog when Campbell shot him in the face, chest and neck. He died at the scene on Leafy Lane near Pitillie track. Prosecutor Greg Farrell told the jury: 'David Campbell was an expert shot. He hunted Brian Low down like he was quarry.'
After the killing, Campbell changed his bicycle tyres to cover his tracks, but soil samples linked the bike to the murder scene. Judge Lord Scott described the killing as an 'appalling and senseless act of extreme wickedness' and said Campbell had carried out a 'carefully premeditated act' against an unarmed and defenceless man.
Campbell showed no reaction as the verdict was read. He will be sentenced at a later date.
