New photo Millionaire landowner, 76, claims his disgruntled gamekeeper, 69, 'poisoned crops at night'

Michael Campbell (pictured) says that his former gamekeeper was caught on CCTV spraying his crops 

A millionaire landowner told a court a disgruntled gamekeeper poisoned crops in the dead of night as revenge after a breakdown in their 35-year friendship.

City financier Michael Campbell, 76, said relations with David Campbell deteriorated so badly he was removed from his job.

Mr Campbell said he recognised the 69-year-old's 'mutton chop' sideburns in CCTV images of a man spraying a mystery substance on his estate at Edradynate in Perthshire.

Michael Campbell said he was sure the pictures of a man in white overalls shown at Perth Sheriff Court today showed his former gamekeeper returning to the shooting estate and sabotaging the game crops two months after he was replaced.

He told a trial his game crop - used to provide cover for pheasants - had 'undoubtedly' been targeted.

'I think something had been applied to it that had not done it any good,' he said. 'The crop on it was dying. It had keeled over a bit and was looking unhappy.

'The only way I would ever have seen a herbal plant looking like that would be if it had been poisoned with something.'

He said he hired David Campbell shortly after buying the 4,000-acre estate in 1983 and that they became 'extremely close' over four decades, leading to the gamekeeper becoming Godfather to one of his grandchildren.

A man in white overalls was captured on CCTV cameras at the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire (pictured)

But their relationship soured when the accused persuaded him to spend 'tens of thousands' on a 'disastrous' fox fence.

That fallout had then been exacerbated by David Campbell filling the shoots with 'ex-layer' birds which were too exhausted from laying eggs all year to provide much sport for parties.

Michael Campbell said: 'Over the initial years I grew to trust him and delegated almost total power to him. We were more than employer and employee - we were good friends. We were on hugging and kissing terms.

'That continued for a very long time. It changed, unfortunately. There were certain issues which started arising where I became critical and David, bless his cotton socks, does not like criticism.

Covert cameras on the estate (pictured) captured a man at about 2am on two occasions and the millionaire said he was sure the man in the footage was his former friend 

'The quality of the shoot started deteriorating and everything started collapsing really. There was severe antagonism. He treated me with disdain.'

The landowner said the accused had often told him he wanted to live the rest of his days working on the estate but by February 2017 lawyers had negotiated a deal to remove him from his post.

In April last year, covert cameras on the estate filmed a man in white overalls apparently spraying crops at around 2am on two occasions. 

The businessman told the court he was certain the footage was of his former gamekeeper.

David Campbell, of Strathtay, denies that between 14 and 16 April 2017 at Edradynate Estate he maliciously damaged game crops by spraying them with an unknown substance which caused them to rot and perish.

The trial, before Sheriff Gillian Wade, continues. Michael Campbell described himself in court as the Chairman of a group of private companies.

 

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News Pictures Millionaire landowner, 76, claims his disgruntled gamekeeper, 69, 'poisoned crops at night'

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