A pensioner has been discovered responsible of threatening to assassinate Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
William Curtis, 70, despatched threatening social media posts to Ms Sturgeon on numerous events between 27 February and 6 March 2019.
He was additionally discovered responsible of sending or inflicting a threatening message to be despatched to former MSP Stewart Stevenson on 9 March that 12 months.
Jurors at Glasgow’s High Court discovered that Curtis and Philip Mitchell, 60, additionally assaulted and kidnapped a sheriff in a parking lot in Banff, Aberdeenshire, in June 2021.
Mitchell claimed he was performing a residents’ arrest on Sheriff Robert McDonald and had lawful authority to take action, however Judge Lord Weir informed the jury there was no proof to help this.
The jury started deliberating at about noon on Thursday and reached a verdict simply over 24 hours afterward Friday.
One of the posts from 6 March 2019 from a Facebook account within the title of William Patrick Curtis – which his former companion confirmed he had – was learn out in court docket.
It learn: “We have reason to believe while it is my intention to citizens (sic) arrest her [Ms Sturgeon] to answer her treason, over the last three years, serious people who reel the abuse to the electorate by her criminal activities warrants assassination of her and sevreal (sic) of her ministers, on down to even civilians who work in all agenices (sic) who have repeatedly lied to the electorate and conspired with the First Minister.”
Ms Sturgeon’s workplace supervisor, John Skinner, flagged the publish to his boss and when requested in court docket what was fabricated from the phrase “warrant assassination of her”, he mentioned: “To murder the first minister.”
The message to Mr Stevenson threatened him and contained a hyperlink to a video regarding the homicide of MP Jo Cox, the court docket was informed.
A direct Facebook message was despatched to Mr Stevenson from “Carole Curtis”, studying: “Your turn is comming (sic) of that you can be sure.”
Curtis lodged a particular defence of incrimination, claiming another person dedicated the offence towards Mr Stevenson, however jurors rejected this.
Jurors discovered Curtis responsible of a fourth cost of behaving in a “threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm” by posting “messages of a threatening and abusive nature” in October 2020.
He was additionally charged with the identical offence for a June 2021 publish however that was withdrawn by the Crown and he was acquitted.
All of the offences occurred in Aberdeenshire.
Both males can be sentenced on 3 March at Edinburgh’s High Court, Lord Weir confirmed.
Source: information.sky.com”