Land row laird ‘claimed he was an MI5 spook’
A LAIRD who fell out with residents on his castle estate ‘probably’ wrote an anonymous letter claiming he was a former MI5 officer and licensed to carry guns, a court heard.
Niall Campbell – who allegedly described himself as ‘highly intelligent, old school and ruthless’ – left his DNA on sticky tape sealing the envelope and gave himself away by his handwriting, it is claimed.
Martin Fairlie, a police forensic scientist, retrieved a partial profile from tape sealing a brown envelope sent to Thomas Machin, who lives onCampbell’s estate at Rowallan Castle, Kilmaurs, Ayrshire.
Mr Fairlie said a comparison swab taken from Campbell, 67, was a ‘very compelling profile’ to do a comparison, with the chance of the envelope DNA having come from anyone else one in more than a billion.
Forensic scientist and handwriting expert Jonathan Morris had been given a firearms application form completed by Campbell to compare with two letters and a map he allegedly sent to Mr Machin and another resident, Alistair Dickson.
Mr Morris said the weapon form appeared to have been completed by one person and the writing was ‘natural-looking’, adding: ‘You would be thinking about what you’re writing rather than how your pen moves across the paper.’
He and colleagues used a microscope to trace ‘pen paths’ and compare the form with the map and letters, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard.
Mr Morris said it was ‘unlikely’ the writing on the map came from two individuals and his report concluded: ‘It’s highly probable that Niall Campbell is responsible for the writing on the map.’
There were ‘some similarities’ on a letter, making it ‘probable’ Campbell was the culprit but the evidence on the
‘Frightened he would be killed’
other letter made it ‘highly probable’ he was the writer.
Advocate Keith Stewart, defending, said: ‘What we have here is simply your opinion.’
The court earlier heard residents of the development felt they were in danger after receiving the letters by post.
The disputes, some of which related to boundaries, were discussed at residents’ meetings but Mr Machin said Campbell was ‘divisive’.
His wife Elizabeth-Ann, 70, who was recovering from cancer, regarded the message as a threat against her husband.
She said: ‘I was frightened he would get killed or something. My reaction was, “we’ll have to move – this is dangerous”.’
Campbell denies behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in 2013 and 2014.
The trial was adjourned.