Scots ‘Nationalist’ Bailed After Pleading Guilty to Threats to Shoot Party Leaders

The un-named defendant was charged on March 22 after making "very graphic" threats to shoot political veteran George Galloway and Scottish Tory MP Douglas Ross in the head. Ross noted then that organisers of a petition against Scottish separatism had to keep their identities secret due to the air of intimidation in politics there.

A "Scottish nationalist" has been freed on bail after pleading guilty to making death threats against two pro-UK party leaders.

Broadcaster and All for Unity party leader George Galloway tweeted on Sunday that a man who had threatened to shoot him and Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross “in the head” had pled guilty and was out on bail "pending reports". 

Political veteran Galloway said the affair was just "a day in the life in SNPland" — a dig at the Scottish National Party whose dominance of the Holyrood parliament both men's parties hope to end in May 6 elections.

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) April 25, 2021

Galloway said the un-named 63-year-old defendant's bail was conditional on him not contacting Ross or himself "by any means" — and cautioned the judge in case the man tried to make good on his threats.

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) April 25, 2021

​The man was charged in late March, days after making the threat online. Galloway said he, his wife and three young children evacuated their home and temporarily left Scotland until the suspect was arrested. 

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) March 19, 2021

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) March 19, 2021

​Ross, a member of the UK Parliament for the Moray seat, revealed to fellow MPs on March 22 the man had been charged.

That was during a debate on a petition asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deny Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's demands for a repeat of the 2014 independence referendum. The organisers of the petition had asked to remain anonymous due to the acrimonious political atmosphere in Scotland.

"It hit home to me when the member opening this debate said that the petitioner and the lead petitioner wish to remain anonymous because of the state of the debate of Scottish politics right now," Ross said, "on a day I found out from police that someone has been charged with making a very graphic death threat against myself and another Scottish politician."

"This is the state of politics in Scotland right now," the Scottish Tory leader added.

On Wednesday Sturgeon warned visitors from across the "border" in northern England not to eat or drink in Scottish pubs and cafes after she relaxed local lockdown rules to allow limited indoor dining — but with no alcohol served.

“If people are coming north across the border, you know, don’t sort of crowd into places — you shouldn’t be allowed to crowd into places indoors — but don’t come specifically to sort of escape the rules in your own area.”

And national clinical director Jason Leitch also appeared to refer to fellow UK citizens as foreigners when he told day-trippers not to do things they couldn't “in your own country”.