Murder accused 'made gun threat'

John Campbell, 59, denies killing former construction worker Robert Rose, from Rotherham, who moved to Sanday in Orkney around 15 months before his death in June last year.

Campbell is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow with fellow islander Stephen Crummack, 51, who has also pleaded not guilty to the murder.

Campbell's ex-partner, Margaret Johnston, 34, told the jury she began seeing Mr Rose, 54, after her relationship with him ended.

The witness had moved to the isolated spot with Campbell to care for monkeys once used in medical research and they had an enclosure erected by their home.

Ms Johnston, who began sobbing as she entered the witness box, said Campbell was "not happy" about them getting together.

She was asked by Campbell's defence counsel, Donald Findlay QC, about a number of incidents where the pair came to blows.

Recalling one episode, she said: "Mr Campbell kept a replica gun under the mattress which he threatened to go after Mr Rose with.

"No-one knew it was a replica gun."

In another incident, Campbell threw ceramic floor tiles at Mr Rose in the bathroom of his (Campbell's) property, Telegraph Cottage, she told the court.

Mr Findlay said of the episode involving the replica gun: "It was no more and no less than a handbags-at-10-paces incident between two men who really didn't like each other, with you in the middle."

Ms Johnston said: "That's correct."

Father-of-three Mr Rose was reported missing on June 8.

His body was found in sand dunes at Sty Wick more than two weeks later.

Campbell and Crummack deny murdering Mr Rose at his home, Braehowar, on June 6 or 7 and stealing his wallet and cash.

They also plead not guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by burying his body in sand dunes and driving his car to Loth Pier to make it look as though Mr Rose had left the island on a ferry.