Australian man in court after Stone of Destiny glass broken at Scots museum

Daily Record

10 hours ago

Arnaud Harixcalde Logan appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday, July 14.
A man arrested for allegedly damaging the glass which protects the Stone of Destiny has been remanded in custody.
The building had been evacuated amid claims a man in a kilt tried to smash through a display case on Saturday, July 12.
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A 35-year-old man was detained by police and taken in to custody.
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Arnaud Harixcalde Logan appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday, July 14.
Harixcalde Logan faced a single charge of malicious mischief - intentionally damaging property - during the private hearing.
The 35-year-old, whose address was given on court papers as Sydney, Australia, made no plea to the charge.
He was remanded in custody and the case against him was continued for prosecutors to investigate further.
No future court dates have been set, but he is expected to appear in the dock again next week in connection with the case.
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Visitors to the attraction said the alleged incident was "like something out of a historical drama or an action film".
Museum tours were brought to an end as the building was evacuated and then stormed by police officers.
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Perth Museum said the historic stone, used in the coronation of Scottish kings for hundreds of years, was not damaged.
Police Scotland also confirmed nobody was injured in the incident.
Tourist Elle Alvarez, visiting Scotland from the Philippines, posted a video of the incident on Facebook.
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She said: "It's honestly surreal, like something out of a historical drama or an action film.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish our tour because of the incident.
"Huge credit to the staff at Perth Museum for handling the situation with such calm and professionalism, making sure all visitors were safe and looked after."
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The 150kg object, also known as the Stone of Scone, was taken from Scotland during the Wars of Independence.
It was lodged in King Edward's carved-oak coronation throne at Westminster Abbey where it remained for 700 years.
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Over Christmas in 1950, four Glasgow University students notoriously managed to steal the stone from the Abbey and temporarily return it to Scotland.
The stone returned for permanent display in Scotland in 1996 at Edinburgh Castle, before being moved to its current home in Perth last year, 2024.
A spokesperson for Culture Perth and Kinross said: "We can confirm there was an incident at Perth Museum where a man was arrested.
"Perth Museum was evacuated as a precaution and there was no damage to any artefacts on display. We are assisting Police Scotland with their inquiries."