A north-east oil worker has admitted sending threats to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, saying she should “take a bullet” over her stance on independence.
In one message William Dall, 44, of Portlethen told Ms Sturgeon she was “a liability that needs getting rid of by whatever means it takes”.
The mechanical engineer was caught when the messages, sent to the politician’s official inbox, were intercepted by a communications manager.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday Dall admitted uttering offensive remarks and making a threat.
The court heard that after drinking “a few” glasses of wine while watching the news, Dale sent the email referencing a “bullet” at around 10.30pm on May 27.
Fiscal depute John Richardson said: “That was obviously assessed as threatening.”
And while reporting the email to police the next morning, civil servants found a previous message from Dall dated April 26 in which he called Ms Sturgeon a liar and a “liability”.
Defence solicitor Graham Morrison said: “He was very frustrated with politics and what has been going on over the last few years.”
The court heard Dall claimed he had written that the first minister should be “taking a bullet” by accident.
Mr Morrison said his client had intended to say “taking the bullet,” which he believed to be a phrase relating to firing someone.
Sheriff Ian Wallace found Dall’s explanation “difficult to accept” and said: “The matter of the threat was clear, whether you intended to carry that out or not.”
Dall, of Bishopston Circle, Portlethen, will be sentenced next month.
A Scottish Government spokesman said last night: “Threats and intimidation have absolutely no place in a democratic society, and no one should be the target of such behaviour, regardless of their political views or the office they hold.”
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