An investigation has been launched into alleged breaches of mandatory bird flu biosecurity regulations at Guy Ritchie’s Pheasant and Partridge shoot at Ashcombe Estate in Wiltshire, according to an article in The Times today.
Article on page 3 of The Times, 9 March 2026 (photo by Ruth Tingay)
Undercover investigators from Dale Vince’s Green Britain Foundation reportedly installed covert cameras on the estate in November 2025 and claim to have recorded multiple breaches of the mandatory biosecurity measures introduced last year to prevent the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
The investigators say they have footage of grain feeders being emptied on to the ground and of food being emptied directly on to open ground, instead of being covered to reduce access to wild birds.
Covert footage appears to show a grain feeder being emptied on to the ground in front of a Red-legged Partridge release pen (screen grab from Green Britain Foundation recording)
Covert footage appears to show a man spreading food on open ground (screen grab from Green Britain Foundation recording)
Investigators also claim the footage showed no visible daily inspection or cleaning of feeding areas, which are all mandatory requirements.
County Council Trading Standards Departments are responsible for enforcement of the mandatory Avian Influenza biosecurity regulations and Wiltshire County Council has opened an investigation in to the alleged offences at Ashcombe Estate.
If the Council’s Trading Standards Department is satisfied that the breaches did occur, and the estate’s management accepts that it committed the offences, then it’s likely the estate would only be given a verbal warning.
Similar breaches of the mandatory biosecurity regulations were confirmed at a gamebird shoot at Ramsholt, Suffolk last year (next to the Deben Estuary SPA, so arguably a much more sensitive site than the Ashcombe Estate) but even so, only a formal verbal warning was issued and this, we were told, is standard practice for first time offenders, even though breaching the regulations is a criminal offence.
More restrictions are expected to be announced for the release of gamebirds on/near Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in England in 2026.
Regular blog readers will recall that in March last year, Defra announced that it would not be issuing General Licence 45 (GL45 – the licence under which restricted numbers of gamebirds can be released on or within 500m of Special Protection Areas, which was introduced after a legal challenge by Wild Justice about damage to protected sites by gamebirds) in 2025 because:
“It is currently not possible to rule out the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (which is currently very high) spreading to the bird features present on SPAs”.
Natural England (responsible for individual licences) went further, and on 14 April 2025 it advised the gamebird shooting industry that although they could still apply for individual licences for 2025 gamebird releases on or close to SPAs, some licences would only be permitted with a delayed release date for the poults, whereas licences for many other SPAs would be unlikely to be issued at all.
An unlawful Red-legged Partridge release pen at the Deben Estuary SPA, Suffolk in 2025, where an individual licence had been refused (photo by Ruth Tingay)
Given the still very high risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), I’ve been expecting General Licence 45 to remain withdrawn this year.
I’ve now seen a draft notification written by Natural England which is expected to be published this week (thanks to the blog reader who sent me a copy) that details the further restrictions that are anticipated for the 2026 gamebird shooting season.
The draft notification states that General Licence 45 will remain withdrawn this year (good) and that there will be even more restrictions than there were last year (good).
Individual licences will again be available for some SPAs, with a delayed gamebird release date (either 1 Sept or 1 Oct depending on the site) to protect any wild birds that otherwise would be present on the SPA over the summer and could be at risk from the spread of HPAI from released gamebirds.
However, this year for the first time, Natural England has been assessing the risk of Avian Influenza to overwintering Woodlark populations, as well as breeding populations which are already a ‘feature’ of several SPAs.
As a result of these concerns, Natural England has concluded that ‘adverse effects on site integrity’ cannot be ruled out for the following sites: Breckland SPA, Sandlings SPA, Thames Basin Heaths SPA, Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons (Wealden Heaths Phase 1) SPA, Wealden Heaths Phase 2 SPA. For this reason, it is unlikely that licences will be granted for these SPAs in 2026.
This is a significant change to the 2025 restrictions, especially on the large Breckland SPA in Norfolk and Suffolk which is known to be an area of intense gamebird releases.
Breckland SPA in Norfolk/Suffolk (from Defra’s Magic Map)
A total ban on the annual release of millions of non-native gamebirds (Pheasants & Red-legged Partridges) would be better but increased restrictions can still be considered progress.
I’ll await the publication of Natural England’s formal notification with interest.
UPDATE 17.00hrs: Natural England confirms tighter restrictions on gamebird releases on/near to Special Protection Areas in England (here)
Following the announcement from Defra in July 2025 that the Government aimed to introduce legislation by the summer of 2026 to ban the sale and use of toxic lead ammunition for ‘live quarry shooting’ over a three-year transition period (see here), the start date for the ban has now been confirmed as 1st April 2029.
A new Statutory Instrument was laid before Parliament on 3rd March 2026 and will come in to force on 1st April 2026. This is The REACH (Amendment) Regulations 2026, which determine the start date for the ban which will apply in England, Wales and Scotland.
The REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) aims to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment against the harmful effects of chemical substances.
The SI details those who will be exempt from the ban (e.g. elite athletes, military, police, Border Force). The ban covers shotgun cartridges (all calibres) and rifle ammunition for live quarry shooting in calibres of 6.17 mm (.243 and above).
Importantly, the ban includes not just the sale of toxic lead ammunition, but also the use of it. That means that once the ban is in force, it will be a criminal offence to use toxic lead ammunition, regardless of whether it was bought prior to the ban.
Let’s hope that all those gamebird shooters who are currently bragging on social media about how they’ve already begun to stockpile their toxic lead ammunition (with a clear intention to use it once the ban commences) get the message.
In this week’s edition of Shooting Times, ‘the official weekly journal of BASC’, there’s a three-page article all about trapping, apparently ‘balancing tradition and modernity with legal traps and snares to control predatory vermin‘.
The article isn’t attributed to a specific author, but was presumably approved by a sub-editor and/or the managing editor, who somehow missed this embarrassing blunder:
For the avoidance of doubt, snaring was banned in Wales in 2023 and was the first country in the UK to do so. Scotland then followed in 2024, under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act.
An outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) was confirmed yesterday at a large gamebird rearing farm in North Yorkshire.
A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone have been declared around Westfield Farms, near Cropton and all gamebirds on the premises will be humanely killed.
Westfield Farms Ltd, whose latest accounts show a value of over £5.3 Million, produces Pheasants, Red-legged Partridges, Grey Partridges and Mallards for the gamebird shooting industry.
Some of you may recognise the name Westfield Farms. In 2015, Director Michael Wood successfully overturned a conviction for permitting the use of a pole trap at this gamebird rearing facility.
North Yorkshire Police, assisted by the RSPB, had seized a total of five pole traps that had been placed around the rearing pens, and two employees received police cautions (they weren’t prosecuted).
However, Mr Wood’s conviction was later overturned on appeal because the prosecution couldn’t demonstrate that Mr Wood had seen the pole trap that he was filmed driving past in his vehicle (see here).
One of the five illegal pole traps seized from Westfield Farms in 2014 (photo by RPSB)
This is the 95th confirmed outbreak of Avian Influenza in the UK since October 2025 (the outbreak season is recorded from 1st October to 30 September each year).
This surpasses the 82 recorded outbreaks during the entire 2024/2025 outbreak season.
Defra will need to decide imminently whether it will issue General Licence 45 for this year’s shooting season. This is the General Licence that permits the release of gamebirds on or within 500m of a Special Protection Area (SPA), which was introduced after a legal challenge by Wild Justice about damage to protected sites by gamebirds.
Last year, Defra withdrew GL45 due to the high risk of spreading Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Given the high number of reported HPAI outbreaks since Oct 2025 (95 at the time of writing), I anticipate Defra will not issue GL45 this year.
If that happens, then it will fall to Natural England to make decisions about issuing individual licences to permit the release of gamebirds on/close to SPAs.
Last year, Natural England took a sensible and precautionary approach and refused licences at many sites (see here), although as we’ve seen, some shoot operators might think the law doesn’t apply to them and the consequences are so minimal it’s probably worth them taking the risk.
On 10 February 2026, NatureScot imposed a three-year General Licence restriction on Raeshaw Estate in the Scottish Borders (and on neighbouring Watherston Wood, which is understood to be under separate management to Raeshaw), in relation to the shooting/killing of Golden Eagle ‘Merrick’ in October 2023.
Camera trap photo of golden eagle Merrick, from South Scotland Golden Eagle Project
Following the announcement, a representative of Raeshaw Estate, believed to be under the management of a company owned by ‘grouse moor guru’ Mark Osborne, claimed the restriction was “wholly unjustified” and said the estate intended to appeal the decision (see here).
According to NatureScot’s Framework for implementing General Licence restrictions,
‘Where a decision is made to impose a restriction, the Affected Parties will be entitled to appeal the decision within 14 days of the date of the decision. An appeal must be made in writing to the Head of Licensing and must set out the grounds upon which it is proposed that the appeal be allowed.
‘An appeal shall have the effect of suspending the restriction from the date the appeal is received by the Head of Licensing until the date of the Decision on Appeal’.
As the restriction notification has now been removed from NatureScot’s website, I assume that Raeshaw Estate has lodged a written appeal and did so within the 14 day time limit.
This means that Raeshaw Estate can, until further notice, go back to using General Licences 1, 2 & 3 to lawfully kill hundreds if not thousands of certain bird species (e.g. crows) on the estate without having to report its activities to anybody.
NatureScot’s Framework states that the Head of Licensing will seek to make a decision on the appeal within four weeks. Let’s hope it doesn’t drag on any longer than that.
It is also apparent that the representatives of Watherston Wood have also lodged an appeal, although as far as I’m aware, the killing of so-called ‘pest’ bird species doesn’t take place in the wood anyway so perhaps the appeal has been made as a matter of principle rather than an attempt to reinstate the use of General Licences 1, 2 and 3.
Screen grab from Who Owns Scotland website, annotated by RPUK, showing the proximity of Merrick’s last known location and the Raeshaw Estate (shaded in blue)
General Licence restrictions, which are based on a civil burden of proof if there is insufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution, were introduced by then Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse in 2014 as a way of tackling the continuing persecution of birds of prey on gamebird shooting estates across Scotland.
These restrictions don’t stop the sanctioned estates from shooting gamebirds, nor do they limit their gamebird management activities other than requiring the estate to complete a bit of paperwork, but they were specifically designed to act as a ‘reputational driver’. I think it’s fair to say that Wheelhouse’s intentions were good but ultimately have proved ineffective.
This is an unprecedented second General Licence restriction imposed on Raeshaw Estate.
Raeshaw Estate was one of the first estates to receive a General Licence restriction in 2015, based on ‘clear police evidence’ that wildlife crimes had been committed there although there was insufficient evidence to prosecute any individual (see here). Representatives of Raeshaw Estate applied for a judicial review of NatureScot’s decision but the Court of Session upheld NatureScot’s procedures and ruled them lawful (here).
Whilst under that first General Licence restriction, Raeshaw Estate applied for, and was granted, a number of ‘individual licences’ so the gamekeepers could continue to kill certain species as part of the estate’s grouse moor management plan (quite a lot of birds were lawfully killed – see here).
However, in 2017 the individual licence was revoked by NatureScot due to non-compliance issues and more suspected wildlife crime offences (see here).
I await NatureScot’s decision on Raeshaw Estate’s latest appeal with interest.
Two days ago, a jury at the High Court in Glasgow returned a guilty verdict in the trial of former Head Gamekeeper David Campbell, 77, who had been accused of murdering his ex-colleague from Edradynate Estate, Brian Low, after ambushing him and shooting him in the chest and neck with a shotgun on a remote woodland track near Aberfeldy on 16 February 2024.
Former Head Gamekeeper and now convicted murderer David Campbell. (Photo by Police Scotland)
The circumstances of this horrific murder were shocking and understandably Campbell’s conviction made the headlines in widespread news coverage yesterday. For example:
But for many living in the rural area around Edradynate Estate, near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, and those who have been investigating wildlife crime on Edradynate Estate for decades, Campbell’s conviction came as no surprise whatsoever.
During his 33-years of employment as Head Gamekeeper on Edradynate Estate (1984-2017), Campbell was at the centre of at least 22 police investigations into the alleged poisoning, shooting and trapping of birds of prey, as well as firearms offences. I say alleged – what I mean is that there is no question whatsoever that raptors were illegally killed on that estate, over a period of three decades, but nobody was ever convicted for any of it and David Campbell had always denied any involvement.
Here’s a blog I wrote in 2017, after the Crown Office had dropped another prosecution against an Edradynate Estate gamekeeper relating to the alleged poisoning of Buzzards in 2015, despite a plea from Police Scotland to pursue a prosecution:
Edradynate Estate has been at the centre of investigations for alleged wildlife crime for a very, very long time. In 2002, the estate’s Head gamekeeper and underkeeper were arrested and charged with nine offences relating to the use of poisoned baits and also bird cruelty, including the use of spring traps. However, on 22 July 2004, two years after the original arrests and 13 court hearings later, the Crown Office dropped the case (sound familiar?). A COPFS spokeswoman later admitted that the time taken to prepare the case had been a major factor in the decision to scrap it (see here).
In July 2010, a poisoned red kite was discovered. An un-named gamekeeper from the estate (who said he was a member of the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association) claimed the bird had been ‘planted’. It also emerged that in addition to the poisoned red kite, over the previous 15 years, 9 buzzards, 2 sparrowhawks, 2 crows, 1 gull, 1 tawny owl, 1 pole cat, and 1 domestic cat, had all been found poisoned in the area. Twelve poisoned baits (Carbofuran, Mevinphos and Alphachloralose) had also been discovered (see here). Nobody was prosecuted for any of this.
In March 2011, two poisoned buzzards, two poisoned crows, and two Carbofuran-laced pheasant baits were discovered. A gamekeeper was taken for questioning but he was later released without charge (here).
In February 2012 an Edradynate Estate gamekeeper was charged with a number of alleged firearms and explosives offences (see here). However, in September 2012 the Crown deserted the case without providing an explanation (see here). Gosh, this is becoming quite a habit, isn’t it?
Writing about the Crown Office’s decision in 2017 to drop the case against Campbell for the alleged poisoning of Buzzards on Edradynate in 2015, former Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart wrote on his blog,
‘This has been the fourth case in relation to the poisoning of raptors submitted to the fiscal against the same accused. I submitted the first Edradynate case in 1994 but it was always going to be short of evidence of identification. The fiscal sat on it in case anything further was discovered that would help the case but had to drop it at the end of the time bar, which at that time was 6 months‘
and
‘I was involved in a further search, which I think was in the month of March. Two or three dead (poisoned) buzzards were found and there were a couple of pheasant baits recovered as well. No pesticides were found but we took samples from the accused’s vehicle and from various items of his clothing. Traces of pesticide were found in the vehicle and on several items of clothing, including from an item he was wearing when he was detained. It was a reasonable circumstantial case, which I thought would be clinched with the pesticide traces on the clothing worn by the accused. I suspect that identification, which is always crucial, was again considered to be the stumbling block. This case was eventually dropped as well‘
and
‘Between 1993 and 2011 I am aware of 14 poisoned baits involving the banned pesticides carbofuran, mevinphos and alpha-chloralose being found on Edradynate estate. There have also been 31 poisoned victims including 17 buzzards, 4 carrion crows, 2 sparrowhawks, 2 tawny owls, a domestic cat, a common gull, a red kite and a polecat found either on the estate or very close to its boundary. I doubt if anyone would disagree that this number of baits and victims were the very tip of the iceberg. I doubt also if anyone would think that someone was ‘coming in off the street’ and dumping all these dead creatures on the estate to cause trouble‘.
In 2018, Police Scotland issued an appeal for information after three dogs and two Buzzards were ‘deliberately poisoned’ between October 2017 and April 2018 around the Edradynate and Pitnacree Estates area (see here). Campbell was no longer working on the estate by this time (see discussion below) and there was local speculation that someone was trying to set up the new Head Gamekeeper but as far as I’m aware, nobody was prosecuted. I’m not aware of any further raptor persecution incidents at Edradynate since the new gamekeeping team was employed.
Alongside the reports of rampant raptor persecution at Edradynate over many, many years, there were stories relating to Campbell’s alleged threatening behaviour towards locals. The court heard some of that testimony during Campbell’s murder trial, although those charges were dropped on the last day of his trial. Further evidence of Campbell’s alleged behaviour was reported by Alan Stewart in one of his books – see here, and this is really worth a read.
It is apparent that many locals were terrified of Campbell, too scared to speak out for fear of retaliation of what he might do to them, or their beloved pets. One individual I’ve spoken to, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells a story of dogs being poisoned and shot and a claim about how Campbell was allegedly seen drowning a dog in a peat hag after it didn’t do as it was told.
Some speak of Campbell’s alleged ‘reign of terror’ in this small rural community and if their testimonies are true, it paints a picture of violence being normalised and being beyond the reach of the law.
The only time Edradynate Estate was held to account was when SNH (now NatureScot) imposed a three-year General Licence restriction in 2017 (see here), assumed to be in relation to the alleged poisoning of Buzzards in 2015 – the case that the Crown Office refused to prosecute.
One of the poisoned Buzzards found in 2015 (photo RPUK)
Despite the widely publicised and appalling catalogue of wildlife crime on Edradynate Estate, reported over several decades, the game shooting industry apparently turned a blind eye.
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association accepted at least two donations from the estate owner, Michael Campbell (no relation to gamekeeper David Campbell and recently deceased); one in 2014 and one in 2015. Surely the SGA was aware of the long history of allegations made about this estate? Perhaps they didn’t care. As there hadn’t been a single conviction they could conveniently ignore the allegations and continue to accept the donations and continue to sit around the table at so-called ‘partnership’ meetings claiming to be doing all they could to eradicate raptor persecution.
Edradynate Estate was featured in the Fieldsports magazine in 2014, where one of the named guns was Robbie Douglas-Miller – surely not this one?
In 2020 Edradynate Estate was endorsed by the British Game Alliance, the game shooting industry’s own ‘assurance’ scheme (at the time), membership of which is supposed to indicate ‘rigorous and ethical standards’.
Screen grab from Edradynate Estate website 2020
And in 2023, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) accepted an auction donation from Edradynate Estate owner Michael Campbell with an estimated value of £2,500.
By February 2017, David Campbell’s employment as Head Gamekeeper at Edradynate Estate had ended, reportedly after his relationship with owner Michael Campbell had deteriorated and he was ‘removed from his job‘. Later that year David Campbell was charged with maliciously poisoning game cover crops on the estate as an ‘act of revenge’, a charge he denied, and of which he was ultimately cleared after the court ruled the case against him had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt (here).
In the sentencing remarks after gamekeeper Campbell’s recent conviction for murder, Judge Lord Scott said this:
“You have no previous convictions. This appalling and senseless act of extreme wickedness casts a shadow over what seems to have been a long life spent by you in gainful employment and some benefit to the community“.
I do wonder on what background information Lord Scott based this statement. Whilst it’s true that Campbell had no previous convictions, it is indisputable that he was a suspect in multiple crime investigations spanning several decades, and that many in the local community lived in fear of him. And at some point his firearms and shotgun licences had been revoked, presumably on evidence that his suitability was questioned and/or he was considered a risk to public safety.
I understand that following Campbell’s murder conviction, Alan Stewart is preparing a new book. I also understand that a TV production company was granted permission to film during the trial inside Glasgow’s High Court for a documentary about this case.
According to an exclusive article in The Courier yesterday, David Campbell is expected to mount an appeal against his murder conviction and it is anticipated that he will lodge formal paperwork with the Court of Appeal in the coming days.
Stepping away from the tragic murder of Brian Low, there are wider, more general implications to consider.
It is extensively evidenced that there’s a strong link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans. I think ‘violence towards animals’ in this context often refers to issues of illegal animal cruelty (e.g. Badger baiting, putting pets inside microwaves etc) but personally I would also define the routine duties of a gamekeeper as qualifying as ‘violence towards animals’, even though much of this activity is still considered legal in the UK.
I fully accept that some people will disagree with this opinion, and may argue that those who have been granted firearms/shotgun licences, as most (all?) gamekeepers have, are subject to rigorous police checks of their character and suitability. However, you’ve only got to look at the number of wildlife crimes that include the use of a firearm/shotgun, let alone the murder of innocent people by firearm certificate holders, to know that the system isn’t fit for purpose.
I recently read an analysis produced by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) about polycriminality in wildlife crime offenders in the UK, which suggested that a significant proportion (59% of offenders) are also linked to violent offending against humans, ranging from low level common assaults to attempted murder, murder and kidnap. (Unfortunately I don’t think this report is available in the public domain).
Wildlife & Countryside LINK is using this analysis to push for a series of recommendations for the government to improve policing resources for tackling wildlife crime, which in turn should increase public safety as well as the safety of wildlife and the environment.
Derbyshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has issued an appeal for information after the discovery of a critically-injured Goshawk, which had to be euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.
The injured Goshawk was found by a member of the public near Stanton Hall, Stanton by Dale, in south east Derbyshire on Saturday 31 January 2026. A veterinary examination and x-ray revealed the bird had been shot with a shotgun and sustained a right wing fracture, a left wing fracture and a suspected left ulna fracture near the elbow.
Given these injuries, it is likely the Goshawk wasn’t capable of long distance flight from the location where it was shot.
Photographs via Derbyshire Police Rural Crime Team:
The Police are asking the public whether they saw anyone with a gun in the area, whether gunshots were heard, and whether anyone saw any suspicious behaviour.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 and quote incident number 26*68719.
Further to yesterday’s news that David Campbell, 77, the former Head Gamekeeper of Edradynate Estate in Perthshire was convicted of the shotgun murder of his former estate colleague, Brian Low, two years ago, the judge’s sentencing remarks have been published and Police Scotland has issued a statement.
Retired Head Gamekeeper and now convicted murderer David Campbell (photo by Police Scotland)
Lord Scott’s sentencing remarks:
“You have been found guilty of the murder of James Brian Low, known as Brian Low, on a quiet country lane near Aberfeldy on 16 February 2024, just over 2 years ago. You did not encounter Brian Low by chance that day, and you did not just happen to have a shotgun with you. On the evidence, the jury decided that it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that, in a carefully premeditated act, you murdered an unarmed and defenceless man by discharging a shotgun at him, causing such severe injuries that he died where he fell. You did this having earlier disabled CCTV cameras in your home in an attempt to conceal your whereabouts that day.
There was no provocation for what you did. You murdered a man who offered no threat to you. You did this having told people over several years how much you hated him or loathed him or blamed him for the change in your fortunes which followed police attention to the estate where you were head gamekeeper for over 30 years. After some time, and things you blamed him for, you left the estate although you felt that you were sacked. The bitterness and grudge you bore towards Brian Low, reflected in some of the things you said about him, did not diminish over time. Indeed, it seems to have become more intense, leading you to plan and carry out the sort of killing that was referred to in a relevant decision of the Appeal Court as “a targeted assassination” or “a pre-planned execution with a victim who was unarmed and unaware of the fate which was about to befall him.
The murder weapon was never found, undoubtedly disposed of by you along with other incriminating items in calm and calculated efforts to conceal your crime and remove any evidence in its immediate aftermath.
It may be that, given serious errors in the early stages of police inquiries, you thought initially that you had got away with murder. If so, you were wrong. From the point of the first effort at autopsy, it became clear that Brian Low’s death was not due to natural causes. From that point on, despite successful efforts to dispose of key evidence and cover some of your tracks, it seems inevitable that suspicion would start to focus on you given, among other things, the views you held about Brian Low which you made no secret of until you came to give evidence.
You lied to the police, attempting to avoid the obvious conclusion from some of what you had done by alleging a police conspiracy to lose what you claimed would have been exculpatory evidence. By the time of the trial, it had occurred even to you that some of those lies were ludicrous and would never be believed, so you adapted your evidence in court to try to counter some of the incriminating facts, veering sharply away from some of your earlier lies and even some of your apparent trial strategy.
When you murdered him, Brian Low was 65 years old. There are 2 moving Victim Impact Statements, prepared by Brian Low’s partner, Pamela Curran and his older brother, Douglas Low.
Pamela Curran describes the significant impact on her life of the loss of her partner. She feels sad every day and misses Brian. It is hard for her to think she will never see him again. You robbed her of the chance to say goodbye. She will not now go out after dark. She is stressed, tearful and cannot concentrate or relax properly. In March last year, she was contemplating trying to see a counsellor for the impact on her mental health. Her closest friend told her, “the spark has gone out of your eyes, you just appear sad. It’s heartbreaking”. Without Brian’s financial contribution, she thought that she would have to find somewhere else to stay and leave the home she loved and in which she formed many happy memories with Brian.
Douglas Low describes the profound and lasting impact on him and his family of their traumatic loss through murder. He says he is changed forever. Brian Low’s family are understandably devastated. Douglas Low says his heart is broken, with an overwhelming sense of loss and grief “that words cannot express”. Brian was a best friend, a confidante, and almost like a son to him due to their 10 year age gap. He says that, “His kindness, old-fashioned honesty and sense of humour were refreshing and always welcomed”. He still misses their weekly Sunday catch-ups. Brian Low’s family are left with many questions, not least why anyone would want to murder him so callously. What you did robbed Brian Low, Pamela Curran and Brian Low’s family of the life he had planned for retirement.
Douglas Low says, “He touched many lives with his warmth and presence, and those who loved him now live in sorrow, trying to come to terms with the cruel reality of his absence”.
Brian Low was clearly a much loved partner, brother, uncle, friend and colleague. It is obvious that no sentence I can impose will be enough to help Brian Low’s loved ones with their traumatic loss.
David Campbell, you are 77 years old and, at the time of the murder, were 75. You have no previous convictions. This appalling and senseless act of extreme wickedness casts a shadow over what seems to have been a long life spent by you in gainful employment and some benefit to the community.
Understandably, Mr Lenehan was simply unable to find anything to say on your behalf today in view of the jury’s verdict.
The sentence for murder is prescribed by law and is a life sentence. I require, however, to specify a punishment part which is the period you must serve before you can be considered for parole. Having regard to the premeditated nature of this murder, I have decided that the appropriate punishment part is 19 years. That takes into account all relevant factors, including your age. Had it not been for your age, the punishment part would have been greater.
You should understand that this is not a sentence of 19 years imprisonment. It is a life sentence. 19 years represents the minimum time you will have to serve before you can even be considered for parole. Given the date when the sentence will commence, that period of 19 years will keep you in prison to the age of 94 at least. Whether you are released then or ever will be a matter for the Parole Board to determine after that 19 year period has elapsed, based on the risk you are assessed to pose at that time.
The sentence will date from 27 May 2024“.
ENDS
I’ll come back to this part of Lord Scott’s statement in a separate blog:
“You have no previous convictions. This appalling and senseless act of extreme wickedness casts a shadow over what seems to have been a long life spent by you in gainful employment and some benefit to the community”.
Statement by Police Scotland:
David Campbell has been found guilty of murdering Brian Low in Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
Mr Low, 65, was fatally shot while out walking his dog in the Pitilie area in the afternoon of Friday, 16 February, 2024.
Today, Wednesday, 25 February, 2026, 77-year-old Campbell was told he will spend at least 19 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.
Detective Chief Superintendent Lorna Ferguson, Police Scotland’s Head of Local Crime, and the senior investigating officer for the case, said:
“This was a complex and challenging investigation involving a number of specialist officers and staff from Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority who worked tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to Mr Low’s murder.
“A team of 31 officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, the local policing division and specialist search colleagues were involved in the three-month investigation.
“Detectives examined 2400 hours of CCTV footage, captured around 1000 statements and visited almost 500 properties as part of extensive enquiries to establish what happened and who was responsible for Mr Low’s death.
“Expert witnesses in ballistics, biology, chemistry and cybercrime, also played a crucial role in building evidence in the case against Campbell.
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that our initial response to this tragic incident fell short of what Police Scotland and the public rightly expects. We have reflected and we have learned from what happened.
“This learning included a complete review of all policies and procedures around attendance at unexplained deaths as we take steps to try and prevent something like this happening again.
“Our thoughts today are very much with Mr Low’s family and I would welcome the opportunity to apologise to them personally for our initial response to his death.
“They have described Brian as a much-loved partner and grandfather, who will be very much missed by all who knew him. They acknowledge the conviction at court today and have asked their privacy to be respected as they continue to process and grieve.
“Violent crimes are extremely rare in the Aberfeldy area, and I know this incident caused shock and fear within the local community. I want to thank all those living locally for their patience and support throughout our investigation, which saw extensive police activity for a long period of time in what is a quiet tourist town. Your information was vital in helping to trace the person responsible“.
ENDS
UPDATE 27 Feb 2026: Some commentary on the murder conviction of ex-Head Gamekeeper David Campbell (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 