2 Men Accused Of Stealing £200,000 Of Jewellery In Perthshire
2 men have gone on trial accused of stealing approximately £200,000 of jewellery in an allegedly violent robbery in which prosecutors claim four people were detained "against their will."
Christopher McMultan,40, and Brian Martin,58, deny taking Sarah Gloag's precious possessions following an alleged incident at an address in Kinfauns, Perthshire, on January 19 2015.
The pair also deny seizing Ms Gloag by the body, presenting a knife at her and swear and utter threats at her, Sundeep Salins and two children at the property.
The two men are also accused of binding the hands and feet of Sundeep Salins, Sarah Gloag and the two young people, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with tape.
They also apparently compelled Sundeep Salins and one of the children to lie face down on the floor whilst Ms Gloag and the other child were compelled to knee on the floor.
The two men are then said to have escaped with the jewellery and £4,000 cash from the house. Prosecutors claim the two men were involved in an incident the following day in which a car being driven by the two men collided with a police vehicle.
The duo are also said to have caused a police constable to "take evasive action to avoid being struck your vehicle" during the alleged incident.
The claims were made on the first day of the trial against the two men at the High Court in Edinburgh. A jury were read the contents of a legal document which contained a total of six charges.
According to the terms of the document, it is alleged on January 18 2015, at an address in Muthill, Perthshire, Mr McMultan and Mr Martin, assaulted David Gilfoyle and Joanne Miles and forced their way into the property.
Prosecutors claim that the two men shouted, swore and threatened Mr Gilfoyle and Ms Miles with violence before compelling them to lie face down on the floor.
It is then claimed that the Mr McMultan and Mr Martin binded Mr Gilfoyle and Ms Miles hands and feet with tape and detained them against their will.
The two men are then said to have compelled Mr Gilfoyle to disclose the PIN number of his bank card before robbing him of a wallet and its contents.
The second charge alleges that on the same date at a branch of the Bank of Scotland in Crieff, Perthshire, Mr Martin inserted Mr Gilfoyle's bank card in an ATM and used the PIN number to take £200.
The third charge alleges that on the same date at a branch of Tesco in Perth, Mr Martin repeatedly inserted Mr Gilfoyle's bank card into an ATM and used the PIN number in an attempt to "open" an ATM. It is alleged that he intended to steal from the ATM.
The fourth charge state that on January 19 2015, at an address in Perthshire, Mr McMultan and Mr Martin did with "faces masked and whilst holding knives" did assault Sundeep Salins, Sarah Gloag and two children.
It is also claimed that they seized Sarah Gloag on the body, present a knife at her and "did shout, swear and utter threats" at Sundeep Salins, Sarah Gloag and the two children.
Prosecutors claim that during the alleged incident the two men detained "them against their will and you did thus abduct" the quartet before robbing them "of a quantity of jewellery and £4,000 Sterling cash or thereby."
The fifth charge states that on January 20 2015, Mr McMultan and Mr Martin "having committed the crimes libelled at charges one, two, three and four hereof and being conscious of your guilt in respect thereof did" reversed a vehicle they were both into a marked police vehicle.
The alleged incident is said to have taken place on the A92 Dundee to Glenrothes road close to the Logie turn off.
It is also alleged that they "did drive said vehicle toward Gavin Clephane, Constable of Police Service of Scotland, Perth, causing him to take evasive action to avoid being struck by your vehicle."
Prosecutors then claim that they continued to drive the car south on the A92 towards Cupar in Fife. It is then claimed the two men threw a bag containing the jewellery which they had allegedly stolen from the car.
Crown lawyers say they did this in an "attempt to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution in respect of said crimes and with intent to pervert the course of justice and you did thus attempt to pervert the course of justice."
The sixth charge states that on January 21 2015 at the Divisional headquarters of Police Scotland in Perth, Mr McMultan and Mr Martin refused to leave their cells to have their fingerprints and photos taken.
Prosecutors claim that they did this "in an effort to avoid prosecution for said crimes and with intent to pervert the course of justice and you did thus attempt to pervert the course of justice."
After the contents of the the document was read, jurors were then told that prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed that the jewellery allegedly taken from Ms Gloag was worth approximately £200,000
Both Mr McMultan and Mr Martin, whose addresses have been given in legal documents as being prisoners of HMP Perth, deny all charges against them.
Jurors were told the trial is expected to take nine days. The trial, before temporary judge Paul Arthurson QC, continues on Monday.