The landlord of a takeaway driver accused of murdering a Perthshire jeweller and pawning some of his gold valuables revealed his tenant was short of cash when he rented him a room.
John Gordon, 52, who owns a property on South Street in Perth, told a jury that Nikola Zhulev only had £60 of the £170 deposit needed on April 14 last year but said he would raise the money by the next week.
Mr Gordon said he had rented a room to Zhulev a year or so before and found him “decent enough” with no issues.
He told the High Court at Livingston: “He was a bit short of money. He gave me £60 and told me his situation.
“He was having problems getting the money and he was going to claim housing benefit. He was having problems with his wife, divorce or something like that. He said he would get the money the following week.”
The next time he saw ‘Nicky’ was on Tuesday April 21. He said: “I went to his room to collect the £110 balance for the two week rent. I knocked once on Nicky’s door and he answered it. He said: ‘Give me two seconds, went away and got me £110. It was in cash in £20 notes and a £10 note.”
He said Zhulev, who is accused of murdering freelance jeweller Alan Gardner, 49 at his bungalow in Balbeggie in April last year, did not tell him where he got the money.
Mohamed Asim, who runs a takeaway shop in Scone, said he often delivered meals to Mr Gardner’s home.
Mr Asim, 62 said he was “shocked” when he took a delivery to the house one night and Zhulev who he knew because the accused had worked for him answered the door.
Later, he said, he saw Zhulev driving Mr Gardner’s car through Scone. There was no one else in the vehicle.
Zhulev, 30, is charged with murdering Mr Gardner by hitting him on the head with a metal frying pan and asphyxiating him before plotting to conceal his body in a woodland grave at St Martin’s, near Guildtown.
He is alleged to have stolen jewellery and other valuables from Mr Gardner’s home at Croft Park, Balbeggie, and pawned them for cash, as well as using Mr Gardner’s credit card to buy takeaway food.
The Bulgarian national is also accused of stealing Mr Gardner’s car and of possessing heroin and being concerned in the supply of the class A drug.
Zhulev denies all the charges against him. The trial continues.