A Scottish nationalist supporter who sent a threatening Twitter message to politician George Galloway has been ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community.
Kyle Forrest, 27, sent the social media message stating “We will get you” when Mr Galloway was standing as a candidate during last year’s Scottish Parliament election. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the Workers Party of Britain leader was forced to step up his personal security and inform anti-terror officers after receiving the message in May last year.
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Forrest stood trial at the capital court last month after denying a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by uttering a threat of violence towards Mr Galloway. Mr Galloway said he received the message “See you Galloway, we will get you, you understand??” from Forrest’s account which had a Saltire and an Irish Tricolour next to his name.
He said he received the message while holding an online conversation with members of the All For Unity movement which was formed to oppose Scottish independence. The 67-year-old politician told the court the message made him feel like he could be “physically attacked” and said to receive it while on the campaign trail had been “truly frightening”.
When asked by fiscal depute Gillian Coren how he interpreted the message, Mr Galloway said: “There is only one possible explanation and that is we will physically assault you.
“For me this is as clear a threat of violence that is possible to construct. I am a working class man who grew up on a council estate so I know what ‘we will get you’ means.”
Mr Galloway told the court he reported the incident to the police and informed a contact he has within the anti-terrorism branch of Scotland Yard. He said he continued to campaign during the election as he refused to consider “surrendering to terrorism”.
Forrest told the trial he was “interested in politics” and had sent the threatening message on May 3 last year after spotting social media posts from All For Unity supporters that he believed to be “racist”. He said he believed the message he sent at around 9am on May 3 last year was “not of a threatening nature” but added he was “ashamed” at causing any upset to Mr Galloway.
Forrest said the message was intended to mean “the Scottish National Party will beat you in the election.” He added: “I was being competitive. It was not of a threatening nature.”
Following the evidence Forrest, from Danderhall, Midlothian, was found guilty by Sheriff Peter McCormack and sentence was deferred to Tuesday. In sentencing, the sheriff said: “You were convicted after trial of sending a Twitter message to the politician George Galloway concerning a threat of violence.
“I regard it an aggravation of this offence as it was directed against a politician standing in an election. It is important that people can take part in an election without the threat of violence.”
Forrest was sentenced to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. Forrest was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and did send a Twitter message to George Galloway and did utter a threat of violence on May 3 last year.
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