Tory press event ‘hijacked’ by ‘activist’

A ‘Scottish Resistance’ activist tried to gatecrash a Tory party press event at Hamilton Accies in the run-up to last May’s Holyrood election, a court heard this week.

Sean Clerkin had been on the pitch near the dugout area at New Douglas Park on April 14 before a photo opportunity featuring party leader Ruth Davidson was about to take place.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, the Scottish Conservatives’ head of media Adam Morris told Hamilton Sheriff Court he attended at the stadium that morning with Ms Davidson for a photo call along with her chief of staff David Guild.

He said they met stadium manager Walter Hamilton, the chairman, whose name he could not recall, and club officials.

Press had been invited, he said, but the event was not open to the public.

Fiscal depute Peter Moyes asked Mr Morris if somebody had attended the event who was not supposed to be there. He replied that there was, and identified Clerkin in the dock as the uninvited guest.

At the outset, said the press officer, the party representatives went into the Accies boardroom before going on to the pitch for the photo opportunity.

Mr Morris, however, went on to the pitch area in advance and saw Clerkin mingling with journalists.

He said he thought Clerkin’s intention was to confront Ms Davidson and his job as a press officer was to prevent that from happening.

He spoke to a member of Accies staff who had explained it was the club’s responsibility to ask Clerkin to leave. Accies officials came back with another member of staff, he said.

The fiscal depute asked Mr Morris if anyone had asked Clerkin to leave.

He replied that Walter Hamilton and “another chap” had repeatedly asked the accused to leave. Mr Hamilton, he said, tried to usher Sean Clerkin off the pitch.

Asked by Mr Moyes if Clerkin left, Mr Morris replied “not immediately” adding that he engaged in a “stunt” by tearing up the Scottish Conservative election manifesto.

The witness said Clerkin picked up scraps of paper as he “didn’t want to be a litter bug”.

According to the witness, when Mr Hamilton tried to usher Clerkin out he did not put up “massive protest” and walked in the direction of the door.

Mr Morris said he followed the men as “I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax until he was out of the stadium and let Ruth Davidson do her thing”.

He said he was with Clerkin, Walter Hamilton and other officials in an area made of bricks and that at that point Clerkin “decided he wasn’t going to leave” and dropped to the floor.

A smashed Dictaphone lay on the ground, he said, and Clerkin said he was hurt.

Mr Moyes asked Mr Morris if there had been any reason why Clerkin would have dropped to the ground.

He replied: “No. Theatrics.” He also told the court that no-one had struck Clerkin.

Afterwards, he said, Clerkin got to his feet and left the stadium “fairly cordially”.

Questioned later by Clerkin’s agent John Flannigan, Mr Morris said the accused’s fall in the stadium looked theatrical, adding: “That’s not to say it definitely was. That’s how it looked to me.”

Mr Flannigan also put it to Mr Morris if it was possible someone had assaulted Clerkin at that point, and he replied he did not think it was.

Clerkin (56) of Barrhead, denies a charge of falsely representing to police officers that he had been the victim of assault at the stadium that day and temporarily depriving the public from police services, rendering members of the public liable to suspicion and accusations of assault.

Sheriff Marie Smart continued the case until June 1 for further evidence.