SNP activist fined for anti-gay online abuse
Party member targeted while seriously ill in hospital
AN SNP parliamentary worker who admitted posting homophobic abuse about a party member online has been fined £400.
Kirsten Felvus, who works for MSP richard Lyle, used Facebook to make anti-gay remarks about John Marshall and accused him of having sex with former MSP Tommy Sheridan.
At the time Mr Marshall, 43, who runs a social media page in support of independence, was seriously ill in hospital following life-saving surgery.
Felvus, 40, of Bellshill, Lanarkshire, wrote that he was in hospital after attending ‘Tommy’s parties’.
Mr Marshall reported the comments to police after recovering from his surgery but Felvus dismissed them as ‘banter’ when questioned. She appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted a charge of posting offensive and homophobic remarks on Facebook in March last year.
The court heard the comments appeared on a page run by Mr Marshall and fellow SNP member Darren reilly in a response to a post criticising Mr Lyle, the MSP for uddingston and Bellshill.
Fiscal depute Lisa Lann said: ‘Miss Felvus became involved and there was offensive language on both sides, but after discussing Mr Marshall being in hospital she mentioned Mr Sheridan.
‘It is accepted by all parties that was a reference to Tommy Sheridan, who Mr Marshall had an association with. I’m not suggesting that was a sexual association.
‘She also made remarks about “Tommy’s parties and that’s how Marshall ended up in the hozzy”. The page has more than 2,000 followers so many people saw these.’
Felvus’s solicitor, Vincent McGovern, said she wrote the posts after drinking in the wake of her marriage breakdown the previous week. He added: ‘She believed Mr Marshall to be a member of Solidarity seeking to access the SNP. There were political differences between them.’
He added: ‘Miss Felvus is deeply embarrassed. She didn’t know Mr Marshall was as ill as he was. She is not homophobic, although the comments are.’
Fining Felvus, Sheriff McKay told her: ‘This language and this type of remark is utterly unacceptable in today’s society.’
Outside court, Mr Marshall said: ‘I was in hospital and nearly died while she was posting these things so it wasn’t something I was willing to just laugh off. I hope she loses her position in the SNP as a result of this. She’s a vile woman.’
Felvus, a mother of three, has been a part-time assistant for Mr Lyle since November. Though not working for him at the time of the post she was an active member of the local SNP branch.
‘Unacceptable in today’s society’