Estate ban for tycoon who tried to keep out ramblers

A TYCOON who made a landmark court bid to ban ramblers from his sprawling country estate was yesterday himself banned from the central part of it by a sheriff.

Euan Snowie was barred from communicating with his daughter two weeks ago after being charged with assaulting her.

Yesterday, he appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court from the cells accused of breaching his bail and threatening Louise Snowie.

Snowie, 48, initially appeared in court on June 15 when he denied a charge that he had pushed her and struck her on the head to her injury at his mansion home, Boquhan House near Kippen, Stirlingshire, the previous day.

He was freed on bail with a special condition that he should not ‘communicate with or contact’ the 20-year-old student, who was said to have a flat in Edinburgh.

Yesterday, Snowie, pictured, faced allegations he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner to his daughter after she returned to the family home on Thursday. It is alleged he followed her, swore at her and made threatening remarks and through his alleged actions he breached the bail ban on contacting her. He denied both charges.

Asking for his client not to be held in jail, solicitor-advocate George Pollock said Snowie could live an another of his properties, in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire.

Though he would need to enter Boquhan Estate to feed his animals, he could stay away from the main house, Mr Pollock said.

He told sheriff Wyllie Robertson: ‘His requirements as far as the estate is concerned relate mainly to livestock issues, mainly over the weekend when his stockman is not working. He has substantial business interests not involving agriculture and these can be conducted elsewhere.’

Sheriff Robertson agreed to bail Snowie – who lost the 2008 battle to bar ramblers from his estate – on condition he does not go within 650ft of Boquhan House. Snowie was ordered to reappear in court next week.

In 2001, Snowie’s family waste disposal firm was paid £38million for the disposal of millions of carcasses in the foot and mouth outbreak. He and brothers Malcolm, Alistair and Gordon, with their mother Sheila, later sold the firm for around £40million.