Stolen Da Vinci extortion trial begins
Five men accused of holding a £4.25 million Da Vinci artwork to ransom went on trial in Edinburgh on Monday.
The Madonna of the Yarnwinder was stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch's Dumfriesshire estate by unknown thieves in 2003. The five men on trial are accused of creating a scam designed to get members of the Buccleuch family and their insurers to pay for its return.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard all the men deny conspiring to extort £4.25 million, as well as an alternative charge of attempted extortion.
The gang is accused of reset and of embezzling cash which was used when the painting was recovered from England.
Marshall Ronald, 53, from Skelmersdale, Robert Graham, 57 and John Doyle, 61, from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, from Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire and David Boyce, 63, from Airdrie, deny the charges.
The group is said to have worked alongside others in 2007, at various locations across England and Scotland, to hatch a plot to steal cash from the ninth Duke of Buccleuch, who died weeks before the painting was recovered, his insurers and his son, who took over the title.
The men are said to have threatened the Dukes, saying the da Vinci would be damaged or destroyed if the money was not paid.
The five accused are alleged to have menaced the dukes with threats that the da Vinci painting would be damaged or destroyed if the money wasn't paid.
The indictment read to the jury on Monday claims that the group met in the offices of solicitors' firm Boyds, now HBJ Gately Wareing, in Glasgow in July 2007 to agree to their plan.
Ronald is then alleged to have contacted a chartered loss adjuster acting for the Duke's insurers, claiming the painting could be returned in 72 hours.
The indictment claims Ronald thought he was in contact with people acting for the Duke of Buccleuch when he sent e-mails and made phone calls saying "volatile people" would "do something very silly" to the picture if police were called in. The emails are also said to have demanded £2 million be deposited with a solicitors' firm and another pounds £2.25 million be put in a Swiss bank account.
The jury was told Ronald was not aware that he was actually dealing with undercover officers. Ronald is also alleged to have bought special, acid-free paper and a case for transporting the painting, before passing £350,000 to Graham.
Graham and Doyle are then said to have collected the Madonna painting from somethere in England and delivered it to the Solicitors' office in Glasgow.
Court papers also claim that at a meeting held there in October 2007, Ronald, Graham, Doyle and Jones met with two undercover officers. They are alleged to have claimed the would return the painting if the £4.25 million was paid in two instalments.
The men are also facing a second charge of defeating the ends of justice by getting one of the undercover officers to sign an agreement that police would not be told about what was happening.
The trial before Lady Dorrian at the High Court in Edinburgh continues.
BBC Reports:
Five men have gone on trial accused of conspiring to extort £4.25m for the return of a Leonardo da Vinci artwork.
The Madonna with the Yarnwinder was stolen from a Dumfriesshire estate in August 2003.
The court case centres on an alleged scam to get members of the Duke of Buccleuch's family and their insurers to pay for its return.
The five men deny conspiring to extort the £4.25m and an alternative charge of attempted extortion.
The offence is alleged to have taken place between July and October 2007.
The men are accused of threatening to damage the painting if the money was not paid for its safe return.
Marshall Ronald, 53, Robert Graham, 57, and John Doyle, 61, all from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, of Renfrewshire, and David Boyce, 63, of Lanarkshire all deny the charges.
The trial before Lady Dorrian at the High Court in Edinburgh continues
Five men accused of holding a £4.25 million Da Vinci artwork to ransom went on trial in Edinburgh on Monday.
The Madonna of the Yarnwinder was stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch's Dumfriesshire estate by unknown thieves in 2003. The five men on trial are accused of creating a scam designed to get members of the Buccleuch family and their insurers to pay for its return.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard all the men deny conspiring to extort £4.25 million, as well as an alternative charge of attempted extortion.
The gang is accused of reset and of embezzling cash which was used when the painting was recovered from England.
Marshall Ronald, 53, from Skelmersdale, Robert Graham, 57 and John Doyle, 61, from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, from Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire and David Boyce, 63, from Airdrie, deny the charges.
The group is said to have worked alongside others in 2007, at various locations across England and Scotland, to hatch a plot to steal cash from the ninth Duke of Buccleuch, who died weeks before the painting was recovered, his insurers and his son, who took over the title.
The men are said to have threatened the Dukes, saying the da Vinci would be damaged or destroyed if the money was not paid.
The five accused are alleged to have menaced the dukes with threats that the da Vinci painting would be damaged or destroyed if the money wasn't paid.
The indictment read to the jury on Monday claims that the group met in the offices of solicitors' firm Boyds, now HBJ Gately Wareing, in Glasgow in July 2007 to agree to their plan.
Ronald is then alleged to have contacted a chartered loss adjuster acting for the Duke's insurers, claiming the painting could be returned in 72 hours.
The indictment claims Ronald thought he was in contact with people acting for the Duke of Buccleuch when he sent e-mails and made phone calls saying "volatile people" would "do something very silly" to the picture if police were called in. The emails are also said to have demanded £2 million be deposited with a solicitors' firm and another pounds £2.25 million be put in a Swiss bank account.
The jury was told Ronald was not aware that he was actually dealing with undercover officers. Ronald is also alleged to have bought special, acid-free paper and a case for transporting the painting, before passing £350,000 to Graham.
Graham and Doyle are then said to have collected the Madonna painting from somethere in England and delivered it to the Solicitors' office in Glasgow.
Court papers also claim that at a meeting held there in October 2007, Ronald, Graham, Doyle and Jones met with two undercover officers. They are alleged to have claimed the would return the painting if the £4.25 million was paid in two instalments.
The men are also facing a second charge of defeating the ends of justice by getting one of the undercover officers to sign an agreement that police would not be told about what was happening.
The trial before Lady Dorrian at the High Court in Edinburgh continues.
BBC Reports:
Five men have gone on trial accused of conspiring to extort £4.25m for the return of a Leonardo da Vinci artwork.
The Madonna with the Yarnwinder was stolen from a Dumfriesshire estate in August 2003.
The court case centres on an alleged scam to get members of the Duke of Buccleuch's family and their insurers to pay for its return.
The five men deny conspiring to extort the £4.25m and an alternative charge of attempted extortion.
The offence is alleged to have taken place between July and October 2007.
The men are accused of threatening to damage the painting if the money was not paid for its safe return.
Marshall Ronald, 53, Robert Graham, 57, and John Doyle, 61, all from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, of Renfrewshire, and David Boyce, 63, of Lanarkshire all deny the charges.
The trial before Lady Dorrian at the High Court in Edinburgh continues
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