Not proven verdict in £100,000 jewellery theft case
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A VERDICT of not proven has been returned on a man who was accused of stealing £100,000 of jewellery from a Buckie home.
Scott Wilson's DNA was found on a crowbar left inside the property on Cathedral Street.
However a jury sitting at Elgin Sheriff Court unanimously decided there was not enough evidence to convict the 30-year-old.
The break-in occurred between March 6 and 10 while the homeowners were away on holiday.
A downstairs door was prised open and a window shattered.
Besides the £100,000 of jewellery, also stolen were £2000 in cash, a set of keys and a camera.
Footage flimed in the aftermath of the break-in showed the house had been ransacked.
The crowbar was found underneath a hat box which had been thrown onto the floor of an upstairs bedroom.
Traces of DNA belonging to four different people were discovered upon the implement.
But sufficient quantities were only found to allow Mr Wilson to be identified.
Giving evidence a police forensics scientist told the jury that it was almost impossible the DNA on the crowbar belonged to anyone else.
Paula Hope, who is based with Police Scotland's forensic team in Dundee, stated that the odds were "one billion to one".
Mr Wilson, who is unemployed, was arrested at his mother's house in Aberdeen on April 2.
He declined to have a solicitor present for his police interview during which he denied breaking into the house or ever visiting Buckie.
He also denied having owned a crowbar and stated he had no explanation for why his DNA had been found upon it.
Mr Wilson did not give evidence himself during the two-day trial.
Speaking on his behalf, defending counsel Alex Burn told the jury that the crown had not proved its case.
He stressed that the crowbar was a "moveable object" which could have been brought to and left at the house by anyone.
Mr Burn added: "The crown has a jigsaw and they are asking you to fill in the pieces."
The jury took about 20 minutes to reach its unanimous decision.
No trace of any of the jewellery has been found so far.
