THE tourist accused of smashing the Stone of Destiny exhibit with a hammer, who has since fled to France, has claimed he carried out the act because the Stone had “chosen” him in a bizarre online rant.
Arnaud Harixcalde Logan was due to appear at Perth Sheriff Court to face a charge of malicious mischief after he was accused of smashing open the glass case that houses the Stone of Destiny at Perth Museum on July 12 2025.
In Scots law, malicious mischief is an offence that deals with behaviour which damages or destroys the property of another, similar to vandalism.
However, it was revealed in March that the 35-year-old, living in Sydney, Australia, but who was born in France, left for Paris after failing to surrender his passport in August, according to the Home Office.
An international hunt has since been launched for Logan after he failed to appear at a pre-trial court in Perth in March.
Logan has since claimed he smashed the Stone of Destiny exhibit as he had to “make enough noise to be heard, without harming anyone” as he made bizarre claims including that he is the heir of Logan of Restalrig.
The Frenchman’s actions led to part of Perth Museum being evacuated, with access to the Stone of Destiny being prohibited for several months while repairs were completed. The Stone itself was not damaged.
The artefact, also known as the Stone of Scone, was moved to Perth Museum in 2024 as part of a £27 million redevelopment and has been associated with the Scottish and UK monarchies for centuries.
In an almost 10-minute video uploaded last year, a day before the incident, Logan rants about how his family line has been “bullied” since the 17th century and has been “sentenced to bastardry” based on an “illegal psyop by James the Sixth”.
He explained in the video that he was in Scotland to “sit on the Stone of Destiny”.
“I am going to break the glass and sit on the Stone, as the Stone has chosen me,” he said.
“I haven’t chosen it.”
In a blog post in June, 2026, titled “Why did I attack the Stone of Scone?” Logan goes on to explain the “many reasons of actions filled with symbolism” as he was aiming “not to destroy, but to restore” the glass that encased the Stone.
He then goes on to list various conspiracies regarding James the Sixth and the Crown, which he claims led to the demise of the Logans.
The 35-year-old later explains he carried out the act because he believed it was “essential” to bring his work “into the light”.
Logan wrote: “It was therefore in a spirit of personal sacrifice that I committed these desperate act.
“I needed to make enough noise to be heard, without harming anyone. And after all, I only broke a window.”
In the ten-minute video from last year, Logan said it had been a “really strange year” for him as he had “discovered” that he is the “heir of Logan of Restalrig”.
One of the main focal points of his criticism was Prince Charles, where he claimed that he was not serving the public but rather “serving himself” and that the “whole political class is totally corrupt”.
Logan also claimed that in April 2025, while the King visited Durham Cathedral for the Royal Maundy Service, he attended the event but was handed a fine by “six police officers” for “indecent behaviour” after they spotted him “meditating” in a kilt in a garden on the grounds.
He also claims he was banned from the city of Durham for 48 hours following the incident by the police.
“I am not sure the reason for that, maybe they thought I was trying to lead the Jacobite rebellion,” he said, adding: “Maybe they don’t like kilts.”
He then goes on to claim that the Crown, since James VI, has set up a “perverted” and “satanic” cult to “control the citizens” of the UK through “magnetism”, “vibrations” and “mystic power”.
Earlier this year, the Crown had asked for a warrant to be issued for Logan's arrest, but it was refused by Sheriff Alison McKay because of an administrative mistake by police officers.
Logan initially appeared in court wearing part of the traditional Jacobite costume, the same one that he appeared to be wearing in videos circulated online when he was arrested following the incident, and was remanded in custody.
The Frenchman made a second appearance from custody a week later, where he continued to represent himself and was granted bail with the special conditions attached.
He has since fled the country and missed an appearance at Perth Sheriff Court in March.
The Stone of Destiny was used in Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and also at the King's coronation in 2023.
It was formally returned to Scotland in 1996 to go on display at Edinburgh Castle.
