By Campbell Thomas
A LAIRD who fell out with residents who live in luxury homes on his private estate allegedly wrote them a letter claiming he was a former secret agent and licensed to carry guns.
Rowallan Castle owner Niall Campbell, 67, is said to have sent the anonymous message stating: “1972 – Recruited MI5 field officer. 1975 – Saudi, Lebanon, Yemen. 1992 – honoured, list non-disclosed.”
Elizabeth-Ann Machin said she was scared when she read the letter allegedly sent by Mr Campbell, who owns the estate near Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, on which a number of private homes have been built in recent years.
Mrs Machin told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, where Mr Campbell is on trial, that she saw it as a death threat against her husband.
She added: “I was very upset.
I was frightened he would get killed or something.”
The letter, partially typed and handwritten, said Mr Campbell liked to appear “Worzel Gummidge- like” but was “ruthless and licensed to carry side arms,” the court heard.
It went on: “Retired 1989 but possibly still retained. These people never retire. Mr Machin, understand you are involved with, etc, a word to the wise, etc!”
Mrs Machin, 70, who was recovering from cancer, told the court: “My first reaction was, we’ll have to move. Can’t live here any more – this is dangerous.
“I was very ill at the time and was having counselling, still having counselling. It doesn’t go away. It’s every day. I can’t bear it. Just the worry. The worry’s terrible.
“It was a roundabout way of saying, ‘Don’t mess with me’.”
She discussed it with her husband, she said, adding: “I think he said we can ignore it, confront him or we can phone the police.”
Her husband Thomas, 72, a business consultant, said: “I took it as particularly threatening and I know it had an effect on my wife. It was very similar to a letter received by one of my neighbours previously.”
He told prosecutor Stephanie Macdonald he thought Mr Campbell was responsible and added: “I have no doubt he sent it to me.”
Mr Machin, who had CCTV installed after the incident, agreed with defence counsel Keith Stewart he had sent numerous emails to RBS and house builder Persimmon about their “unhealthy relationship” with Mr Campbell’s company, Duffield Morgan.
Mr Machin also wrote six times to Police Scotland’s chief constable asking why the investigation into the letters was taking so long and referred to police officers using the golf course at Rowallan.
The disputes were discussed at residents meetings but Mr Machin said Mr Campbell was “divisive”.
He went on: “I told him he was divisive. His whole approach to the homeowners was divisive.”
Mr Campbell would carry out “continual patrols past our house and others in his [Land Rover] Defender.”
Mr Campbell, of Waterside, Ayrshire, denies threatening or abusive behaviour by sending letters to the couple and to resident Alistair Dickson, between January 2013 and July 2014.
The trial was adjourned.
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