Man who threatened Nicola Sturgeon and attacked sheriff jailed

William Curtis will spend five years and 10 months behind bars

Author: Alice FaulknerPublished 3rd Mar 2023
Last updated 3rd Mar 2023

A man who sent threatening messages to Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and later helped abduct a sheriff has been jailed for more than five years.

William Curtis was convicted last month of sending threatening messages to Ms Sturgeon and of sending or using a threatening message to be sent to former MSP Stewart Stevenson in 2019 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

READ MORE: Aberdeenshire pensioner found guilty of threatening to assassinate the First Minister.

He and co-accused Philip Mitchell, 60, were also found guilty of assaulting and abducting Sheriff Robert McDonald in a car park in Banff, Aberdeenshire, in June 2021.

On Friday, Lord Weir told the pair they were "entirely unrepentant for their actions".

READ MORE: Two men accused of assaulting and abducting sheriff in Aberdeenshire car park appear in court

He sentenced Curtis to 18 months for the three charges of sending threatening and abusive messages, backdated to July 1 2021 when he was brought into custody.

Lord Weir said he was further sentenced to four years and two months for his part in abducting the sheriff, the term of which will begin on completion of the first part of the sentence.

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