News
Farmer gives evidence in murder trial
05/02/2010 17:06:00
A FARMER today claimed a murder accused told his alleged victim: "Your day is coming."
Thirty-seven-year-old
George Parker said that 54-year-old Bob Rose told him he had been
threatened by his love rival John Campbell.
Mr Parker was giving evidence at the High Court of Glasgow in the
trial of Campbell, 59, and Stephen Crummack, 51, who deny murdering
Mr Rose on Sanday on June 6 or 7, 2009 and burying his body
in sand dunes.
Mr Parker told the High Court in Glasgow that Mr Rose and Campbell
hated each other because of their rivalry over 34-year-old Margaret
Johnston who had been both men's lover before leaving the island in
February last year.
Mr Parker said that he contacted the police after becoming increasingly concerned when Mr Rose disappeared.
He told prosecutor Alex Prentice QC he initially became worried after
Mr Rose failed to turn up for a Sunday lunch with him and his wife
Catherine at the Belsair Hotel on June 7, last year.
He said there was no sign of Mr Rose at his home and the following day
he failed to turn up when a vet flew in from the Orkney Mainland to treat his
alpacas.
When asked by Mr Prentice; "Was Bob a reliable sort of person. If he
said he would be somewhere would your expect him to turn up?" he
replied: "Yes."
Mr Parker said he went to Mr Rose's home on a number of occasions and
there was no one there and called his mobile phone but got no reply.
He told the jury he discovered that Crummack had Mr Rose's dog and
thought that odd because Mr Rose had been complaining about his dog
teaching it bad habits.
Mr Parker said that eventually he and two friends went to Telegraph
Cottage - the home of Campbell - to speak to Crummack, who was visiting
there.
He said: "We asked if Steve was in and he came to the door. He looked a
bit agitated. I asked him if he knew where Bob was and he said no.
"I asked him why he was driving Bob's car. At first he denied it then said he had taken the car to Loth Pier for Bob.
"I said I wasn't happy and was going to the police and he shut the door."
Mr Parker said he then went to the door leading into the kitchen opened
it and heard Crummack, who was in another room say: "We're f***** mate.
They've seen me driving his car."
He told the court that Campbell replied: "Who's seen you?"
The court heard that the police were called in and a massive investigation was launched on the island.
Under cross-examination by Donald Findlay QC, representing Campbell, Mr
Parker agreed that Crummack and Mr Rose were not on good terms.
Mr Parker admitted that Crummack owed Mr Rose £250 and had also borrowed tools he had not returned.
He also agreed with solicitor advocate Paul Burns, defending Crummack,
that just weeks before Mr Rose disappeared Mr Campbell told him: "Your
day is coming."
When asked to described the relationship between Mr Rose and Campbell,
Mr Parker said they hated each other because of rivalry over a woman.
Campbell and Stephen Crummack are alleged to have held Mr Rose down on
a bed, placed a pillow over his face and compressed it, repeatedly
struck him on the head and body with their fists or other implement and
robbed him of a quantity of money and murdered him on June 6 or 7, this
year, at Braehowar, Sanday.
They are also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice by
concealing Mr Rose's body in a duvet, putting it his M-registration car
and driving to sand dunes at Sty Wick, Sanday.
It is claimed that they buried Mr Rose's body in the sand dunes.
The prosecution alleged that the two accused then drove the car to Loth
Pier, Sanday, in an attempt to make people believe that Mr Rose had
left the island on a ferry.
Campbell and Crummack are also alleged to have told various people on
Sanday and police officers that Mr Rose - nicknamed Black Bob - had
left the island and had asked them to look after his dog.
It is also alleged that the pair burn a duvet and wallet belonging to
Mr Rose and washed clothes they wore during the commission of the
alleged murder.
They deny all the charges against them.
The trial before Lord Turnbull continues.