A married couple has denied stealing prized artwork from a house on Billy Connolly’s former Aberdeenshire estate almost 16 years ago.
Phillip Thomas-Smith, 67, and his wife Penelope Thomas-Smith, 61, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday charged with breaking into a house at Candacraig Lodge in Strathdon.
It is alleged they used a key to gain entry before taking two valuable oil paintings, by Scottish colourists George Leslie Hunter and Francis Cadell, which are believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Prosecutors claim the theft took place between July 16 and 18, 2001.
Owners Harry and Liz Young did not insure the paintings, which were inherited from Mr Young’s father, as they were considered to be items merely of sentimental value. Mr Young has since passed away.
Mr Young’s parents bought the paintings at auction in Canada in the 1960s. The Cadell is an oil on wood in a plain white frame, showing roses in a vase on a black lacquered table and includes the red chair which appeared in a number of his works.
The Hunter, in a beige, moulded frame, shows a vase of flowers. Hunter is known for his landscapes in the south of France and Loch Lomond.
The pair, both of High Shore Banff, denied the allegations and will go on trial later this year.
Sheriff Graeme Napier told the couple: “You both must return to court for the trial diet,” ahead of next Wednesday’s follow-up hearing.
The sheriff granted bail for them both in the meantime.
Comedy legend Mr Connolly and celebrity wife Pamela Stephenson bought the nearby Candacraig House from Body Shop founder Anita Roddick in 1998. They sold the 12-bedroom pile in 2014.
During that time they became familiar faces at the famous Lonach Gathering, which takes place in nearby Bellabeg each August.
As well as providing a dram for the Men of Lonach during their traditional march through the glen into the park ground, Connolly entertained a host of celebrity friends during the festivities, including the late Robin Williams, Ewan McGregor and
Dame Judi Dench.
The Big Yin, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago, now lives in Los Angeles.
