Activist who named Salmond complainers facing jail

A Scottish nationalist activist has been told he faces a possible prison sentence for naming the women who claimed they had been sexually assaulted by Alex Salmond.

Clive Thomson, 52, admitted breaching a court order that prohibited the identification of the complainers who gave evidence at the former first minister’s trial last year.

Judges Lady Dorrian, Lord Pentland and Lord Turnbull heard how Thomson, from Rosyth in Fife, named the females on Twitter on two different occasions in August last year. Lady Dorrian – the judge who presided over the trial that resulted in Mr Salmond being acquitted of all charges – had passed the order during trial.

Journalists working in Scottish courts do not name complainers in sexual assault cases topreventcomplainers’privacy being breached. However, the former defence industry workerignoredtheorderandnamed the women on the social media network.

The court heard that he knew that he wasn’t supposed to name the women, but went ahead and did so anyway.

Yesterday, moments after Thomsonadmittedacontempt of court charge, defence advocatemarkstewartqcurgedthe judges not to send his client to prison.

But Lady Dorrian said: “The court takes the view that this is a very serious contempt of court. The second post, in particular, is clearly done in the knowledge that it should not be done.

“Theoptionofacustodialsentence is very much an open one at the moment. It is a live issue forthecourtandweareconsidering that.”

Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault last year. A further charge of sexual assault had previously been dropped by prosecutors.

The former first minister had maintained his innocence throughout the two-week-long trial, which was held in March last year.

Mr Stewart told the court the first post was taken down a shorttimeafterithadbeenpublished.thesecondpostwastaken down within 24 hours of its publication.

The advocate also told the court his client was aware that jail was an option but urged the courttoeitherfinethomsonor give him community service.