Travellers who lead ‘shamanic’ lifestyle deny theft of Fife yacht.

Couple in court accused of theft of 15k 27ft vessel from town harbour

A pair of Travellers leading a “shamanic” lifestyle have pled not guilty to stealing a £15,000 yacht from an Angus harbour.

Richard Gould, 41, and Vivienne Duke, 51, both of no fixed abode, appeared before Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar yesterday.

They were arrested and charged on Monday afternoon with the theft of a yacht from Arbroath harbour on September 22.

Appearing from custody, the pair denied taking the 27-foot Osprey from the marina.

Its owner, Michael Gray from Fife, had reported the Osprey stolen at the weekend after logging on to a harbour webcam and seeing that it was missing.

Appearing together in the dock, Gould and Duke confirmed their names before defence agent Billy Rennie tendered not guilty pleas on their behalf.

Moving for bail for the pair, he told the court: “Both are Travellers and they have been travelling for two years from Northumberland and ended up in the Arbroath area.

“They are on a shamanic journey. It is a lifestyle choice.

“They have a love of nature and have no requirement to have a home.

“They have been using a friend’s address in Huddersfield for an address. This is somewhat unusual. I have explained to them that their backgrounds don’t easily lend themselves to the court system.

“They have no difficulty staying in the area until the case is completed.”

He explained both defendants have email addresses and were claiming Universal Credit.

Sheriff Gregor Murray granted bail but stressed to the pair that they have to report to Arbroath Police station within 24 hours of their court appearance.

They will then have to report to the station three times a week thereafter, until completion of the case. A trial date was fixed for November 27.

Shamanism is a practice which involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with what they believe to be a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.

It originated in Siberia and is recognised as the oldest spiritual practice in the world.

It is not necessarily based on faith in a particular god, but rather based on animism – the belief that everything is living and has a spirit.

When approached regarding security at the Arbroath marina following the alleged theft, Angus Council declined to comment.

The yacht is back in Arbroath harbour in the hands of owner Michael Gray, pictured, who discovered it was missing when he logged into a webcam.