A masked raider who stole thousands of pounds worth of lead from a historic Perthshire estate was caught by DNA left on a broken security camera.
Rolands Zeiliss was part of a fly-by-night gang who plundered tonnes of metal from the roof of the old stables building at Belmont Castle, near Meigle.
He was found guilty of the theft following a two-day trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
The 37-year-old painter and decorator failed to persuade a jury that his DNA was left at the scene because someone else was using his gloves.
Zeiliss was originally accused of stealing £70,000 of lead from two properties on the estate, on three separate occasions.
But jurors found two allegations of theft – including a raid on the site’s Gardener’s Cottage – was not proven.
Charges that he tried to defeat the ends of justice by tampering with CCTV cameras were dropped by the crown.
Guilty of ‘planned’ operation
Sheriff William Wood told Zeiliss: “Your DNA was found on security camera at the scene, suggesting that this was very much a planned operation.
“You took steps to try and avoid detection.”
The sheriff added: “I cannot see any realistic alternative to custody in this case.”
Zeiliss, from Aberdeen, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
Security alert
It is estimated father-of-two Zeiliss stole around £14,000 worth of lead during the night-time raid on January 7, 2020.
The B-listed administration building is insured by Dundee City Council for £1 million.
The trial heard local authority housing officer Scott McPherson was alerted to the theft by security company Robowatch, which monitors CCTV cameras at the site.
He visited the stables and found new cameras which were installed after a previous raid in November had been pulled off the wall.
They were later found dumped in bushes nearby.
Jurors heard Zeiliss’s DNA was found on one of the units.
He later told police that he might have been on holiday in Latvia at the time.
He told the trial he could have returned to Scotland a few days earlier.
“I don’t remember when I came back to be honest,” he said.
Zeiliss said it was a “possibility” that his work gloves may have been used by the person responsible for the thefts.
He said he had been worked on a building site in Edinburgh, adding: “We change gloves every day.”
Jury urged to ‘apply common sense’
During closing speeches, fiscal depute Michael Dunlop told jurors: “The crux of the matter is whether or not you believe Mr Zeiliss’s account of how his DNA ended up on this camera.
“He says someone else had his gloves and they were the ones who stole the led and tampered with the cameras.
“I would invite you to apply your common sense.
“That excuse simply does not pass muster.”
Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, told the jury: “You have to do an awful lot of guessing to come to the conclusion that Mr Zeiliss was responsible for all three offences.
“It is easy for DNA to be transferred.
“Your DNA could be on an item that you’ve never touched and it could be used to commit a crime.”
He said: “DNA evidence has to be treated very carefully.”
Macbeth legend
The Belmont Castle estate was famously once home to British Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who is buried at a nearby churchyard.
According to legend, Macbeth made his last stand at the castle. A large cup-and-ring marked stone, known as Macbeth’s Stone, lies at one of the estate entrances.
