Man convicted for threatening MSP after new parliament monitoring scheme introduced

The first person has been convicted for a statutory breach of the peace using information gathered through the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body’s (SPCB) new monitoring scheme for online threats.

Security analysts were able to identify the individual’s social media account and track his threatening and racist language made against a male MSP using open-source data.  

The 59-year-old male was convicted under Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) 2010 Act, which relates to threatening or abusive behaviour, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. 

The individual was found guilty and admonished.  

He also made racist comments directed at several ethnic minority politicians across the UK.  

The 12-month pilot scheme began in June last year and involved 38 MSPs. Over the course of 11 months, it unearthed 500 cases that met a potentially criminal threshold. 

More court cases are expected to follow, given the extent of the problem. 

Lynsey Hamill, the Scottish Parliament’s director of operations and digital, told MSPs in an email today: “On 27 November 2024 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, a 59 year-old male was convicted under Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) 2010 Act. Section 38(1) relates to threatening or abusive behaviour. The individual was found guilty of a statutory breach of the peace and was admonished on this occasion. 

“Our security analysts used open-source data to identify the individual’s social media account and track threatening and abusive language in connection with a male MSP, along with racist comments about that member and a number of minority ethnic politicians across the rest of the UK.  

“Given the scale of potentially criminal content identified online, it’s reasonable to assume more court cases will follow in the weeks and months ahead.” 

The service operates on an opt-in basis, with 59 MSPs currently registered.  

SPCB has recruited a second information security analyst to work on the scheme to work alongside a former police inspector who delivered the pilot, with the expectation that 80 MSPs will join.  

The pilot was launched in response to a review of the personal security provision for MSPs and staff undertaken by the SPCB following the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021.    

The review identified immediate actions and also longer-term projects, one being a trial service to manage online threats against MSPs.