Man in court accused of sending abusive tweet to young Celtic fan Jay Beatty

A man has denied writing an abusive message about a young Celtic fan with Down’s Syndrome which was allegedly posted on a social media site.

Ross Gibson appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday accused of acting in a threatening and abusive manner on March 1 this year.

It is alleged the 20-year-old wrote numerous posts on Twitter which were “offensive, sectarian and of an indecent nature”.

The Crown also stated in the charge that they hope to prove the crime was committed with a prejudice towards someone with a disability.

His appearance is related to a comment claimed to have been made earlier this year against 11-year-old Celtic supporter Jay Beatty who suffers from Down’s Syndrome.

The post was said to have been uploaded after a Scottish Premier League match between Celtic Football Club and Aberdeen Football Club.

Gibson, of 16 Fergus Place, Dyce, Aberdeen, will go on trial later this year.