A man who was jailed after posting assassination threats about Nicola Sturgeon online is bidding to have his conviction quashed.

William Curtis, 67, was jailed for almost six years after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where details of the sinister remarks made online about the former First Minister were told to a jury.

The courtroom heard how the Govan MSP’s private office intercepted a ‘threatening’ email containing sinister remarks about her in 2019, while a Facebook post in the name of William Patrick Curtis, which mentioned making a ‘citizen's arrest’ of Ms Sturgeon for ‘treason’, was also uncovered.

The post said: "Over the last three years serious people, who feel the abuse to the electorate by her criminal activities warrants assassination of her and several of her ministers.

"On down to even civilians who work in all these agencies who have repeatedly lied to the electorate and conspired with the First Minister."

It was signed off ‘The Skipper xxxx’.

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A jury found Curtis to have been the man behind the correspondence and Lord Weir jailed him for five years and ten months. But we can reveal that Curtis is now bidding to have his jail term slashed – or his conviction overturned.

His legal team will present details of their case to three judges at the High Court on September 13. It is understood they will ask for more time to prepare for a further hearing which could result in Curtis being set free or his sentence cut. More details of the exact grounds of his appeal will be led on the day.

As well as the offences against the Glasgow MSP, Curtis was also convicted of threatening MSP Stewart Stevenson and abducting and assaulting Sheriff Robet McDonald during a ‘citizen's arrest’ outside a court building in Aberdeenshire.

Curtis and a co-accused Philip Mitchell were also convicted of the incident involving the lawman in 2021 which saw Mitchell wrestle Sheriff McDonald to the ground near to Banff Sheriff Court before sitting on top of him. Curtis stood nearby filming on his phone while encouraging his accomplice.

The pair claimed the footage played to jurors had been altered to make them appear guilty.

Passing sentence in March, Lord Weir said that Curtis showed no remorse for the upset and stress his posts and emails may have caused Ms Sturgeon or others.

He added: "The content of those messages was a complete disregard to the likely impact.

"The social worker offered an opinion that you have created a personal vendetta to those people in authority including MSPs and professionals in the criminal justice system. You are entirely unrepentant."