Independence campaigner appears in court after threatening judge over '˜indy campers'

A SCOTTISH independence campaigner has appeared in court charged with threatening a judge who gave the go ahead to evict '˜indy campers' from outside the Holyrood Parliament.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Oct 2016, 12:36 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2016, 20:52 BST

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The Indy campers. Picture; Jon SavageThe Indy campers. Picture; Jon Savage
The Indy campers. Picture; Jon Savage

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Stephen Crielly,53, allegedly threatened Lord Turnbull who ruled against his group’s attempts to have a permanent camp stationed outside the Scottish Parliament.

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His group composed a legal statement which called on Scots to ‘hunt down and execute’ Lord Turnbull and Her Majesty the Queen.

The Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby WilliamsThe Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby Williams
The Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby Williams

Lord Turnbull sat at the Court of Session earlier this year and ruled in favour of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

The organisation was given the go ahead to remove a group of independence campaigners from outside the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Crielly, of Uddingston, Lanarkshire, was a member of a group of campaigners called the JAH group.

They believe that the independence camp and the declaration of an independent Scotland are necessary steps to ensure the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby WilliamsThe Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby Williams
The Independance Camp, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Picture; Toby Williams

However, prosecutors claim that Mr Crielly threatened Lord Turnbull.

His group submitted an affadavit which was submitted during the case.

The legal document was signed “Christ King of Scotland”. It claimed that the son of God had given permission for the campers to use his land.

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The statement also included claims that the judges were “frauds and have no authority to judge anyone” and are “guilty of capital crimes and under the law should all be executed.”

Mr Crielly was detained a few yards from St Giles Cathedral last Wednesday night. He had earlier been sitting in the public benches of the Court of Session following an appeal hearing against Lord Turnbull’s decision.

He appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday and made no plea or declaration to a charge of making criminal threats.