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Da Vinci trial hears meeting tape Gardener pursued da Vinci raiders
(about 2 hours later)
The trial of five men accused of holding a stolen masterpiece to ransom has heard a tape recording of a meeting involving the defendants. A court has heard how a gardener ran to challenge raiders making off with a masterpiece from a Scottish castle.
John Chrystie, 50, was weeding in the grounds of the Drumlanrig estate when he saw three men with Leonardo da Vinci's the Madonna of the Yarnwinder.
He set off after them until one of them produced a small axe to scare him off.
Five men are on trial in Edinburgh accused of trying to extort £4.25m for the painting's return. They are not charged with the 2003 robbery.
Mr Chrystie, who had worked for the Duke of Buccleuch in south west Scotland for 20 years, said he heard "banging and then alarm bells" on the day of the raid.
He told the High Court in Edinburgh he then saw a man wearing a white sombrero-type hat carrying something square.
The gardener said that from the colours he recognised it as the Leonardo da Vinci painting.
"When I realised what was happening I was going to have a go at one of them and he pulled an axe from his jacket, a small hand axe," he said.
"I veered off and just ran up the banking."
Taped recording
The jury at the trial has also been hearing a taped recording of a meeting involving the defendants in the extortion case.
It took place at Glasgow law offices where two of them were solicitors.It took place at Glasgow law offices where two of them were solicitors.
Prosecutors are presenting it as evidence of a conspiracy to extort £4.25m for the safe return of Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder. Prosecutors are presenting it as evidence of a conspiracy to extort £4.25m for the safe return of the stolen painting.
All the men on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh have denied the extortion charges against them.
The trial previously heard evidence about the day the painting was stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch's Dumfriesshire estate in 2003.
Marshall Ronald, 53, Robert Graham, 57, and John Doyle, 61, all from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, from Renfrewshire, and David Boyce, 63, from Lanarkshire, deny the charges against them.Marshall Ronald, 53, Robert Graham, 57, and John Doyle, 61, all from Lancashire, Calum Jones, 45, from Renfrewshire, and David Boyce, 63, from Lanarkshire, deny the charges against them.
They pled not guilty to conspiring to extort £4.25m and an alternative charge of attempted extortion.They pled not guilty to conspiring to extort £4.25m and an alternative charge of attempted extortion.
The offence is alleged to have taken place between July and October 2007.The offence is alleged to have taken place between July and October 2007.
The trial, before Lady Dorrian, continues.The trial, before Lady Dorrian, continues.