Gretna man avoids jail after racially abusing Humza Yousaf on Twitter
Stuart Smith targeted the then-justice secretary online following the 2015 Paris terror attack
A Gretna man who racially abused justice secretary Humza Yousaf on Twitter has been branded a 'narrow-minded religious bigot' by a sheriff, but walked free from court.
Stuart Smith, 64, claimed the SNP MSP supported “Muslim killers” and raised money for their families on November 14 2015.
The message was sent on November 14 2015 - the day after the Paris terror attack and was in response to a screenshot of Mr Yousaf’s “#PrayForParis” tweet.
Smith said: “Humza Yousaf, good Scots name I am sure he is 90% backing muslim killers. Be having a whip round for terrorist families soon.”
Smith was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner aggravated by religious prejudice after a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court last November.
His sentencing was put off on a number of occasions since the trial and Smith had a warrant for his arrest granted in April.
On Monday Sheriff Sean Murphy QC tagged Smith for six months keeping him indoors between 7pm and 7am.
The sheriff said: "You misused Twitter to post a grossly offensive message containing derogatory remarks about Islam through your comments about a person of that faith who held – and holds – a prominent place in Scottish life.
“Your behaviour was nothing less than an exhibition of narrow-minded religious bigotry.
"Prejudice of this kind has no place in modern Scotland in the 21st century and you should be ashamed of yourself.
"I find it impossible to understand why people like you, sitting alone somewhere with access to social media, think it is acceptable to transmit to the rest of the world hateful messages without having to look in the face the people that you are talking to or talking about.
"That is a form of moral cowardice."
During the trial, Mr Yousaf said he saw the tweet from a ‘Stuart Ben Smith’ which included the word ‘Kafir’ in Arabic script on his profile page.
He stated the word meant ‘non believer’ and it was a “derogatory comment” towards Muslims.
Mr Yousaf stated that he had been “singled out because of his faith.”
He said: “I spent the hours before like everyone else shocked at the events and the atrocities in Paris.
“I did nothing but send out a public message supporting the victims.”
Smith- a self-proclaimed "hermit" from Gretna - denied tweeting the message -even criticising its grammar.
Fiscal Mark Allan showed tweets posted by Smith that same day which referenced politics and religion including a possible next world war between the West and the Islamic faith.