Man who threatened to blow up mosque has sentence deferred

Published on Friday 19 June 2009 12:17

A man who threatened to blow up a mosque and behead a Muslim had his sentence deferred for the sixth time today.

Neil MacGregor appeared from custody for sentencing at Glasgow Sheriff Court but a social inquiry report ordered at his last appearance was not available.

MacGregor, 36, had previously admitted telephoning and emailing Strathclyde Police and threatening to blow up Glasgow's Central Mosque more than two years ago.

The email also demanded the closure of all mosques in Scotland and threatened to behead a Muslim.

MacGregor, whose address was given as Melbourne, Derbyshire, also pleaded guilty to a second charge of making racist remarks and committing a racially aggravated breach of the peace.

The offences happened in Glasgow on February 2 and 5 2007.

At a previous hearing the court was told that MacGregor was apparently left "angry and anxious" after watching a video clip of a beheading which a friend had emailed to him.

He first appeared in court on February 9 this year when he pleaded guilty, and has appeared five times since.

On his last appearance, on May 29, MacGregor was remanded in custody because of the "serious nature" of the threats.

Sheriff Andrew Mackie today deferred sentence until later in the month pending a social inquiry report.