Man in court over Alex Salmond assassination tweet

The tweet was aimed at First Minister Alex Salmond. Picture: PA

Christopher Stevenson, 25, is accused of making the comment saying “think I might assassinate Alex Salmond” on January 28.

He is alleged to have behaved in a “threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm”.

Stevenson, from Glasgow’s east end was arrested and taken to London Road police office before appearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court from custody and entering a not guilty plea.

A trial - which will take place before a sheriff only - was set for August this year, only weeks before the Scottish independence referendum is to take place.

Stevenson was released from custody and ordained to appear on the next occasion by Sheriff Norman Ritchie QC on the next occasion.

On Stevenson’s Twitter page, he appears to have since posted a number of tweets about the alleged comment.

These include “Feel I’ve upset the Yes campaigners, they want me to go to jail for that tweet last night” and “Ridiculous that even a joke makes you a criminal”.

The Twitter page is now private and tweets are no longer public.

His trial is set to take place two months after Dogan Arslan, 47, is to go on trial for allegedly staring at Nicola Sturgeon at her Pollockshaws Road office.

Arslan, from Battlefield, in Glasgow’s south side, is alleged to have carried out the offence between October and December 2012, from his car.

It is claimed that he “engaged in course of conduct” which caused people in the office, including SNP politician Nicola Sturgeon “fear and alarm”.

And, that he “repeatedly loitered within a parked motor vehicle in the vicinity of the office premises” and stared at the offices and Miss Sturgeon.