A pensioner who discussed the “assassination” of Nicola Sturgeon before helping assault a sheriff during a violent “citizen’s arrest” has died in prison.
William Curtis was jailed at the High Court in Glasgow last March after being convicted of sending online threats online remarks towards the then-First Minister.
The 71-year-old ex-fisherman also carried out a sinister hate campaign against his then-local MSP Stewart Stevenson, sending a YouTube video link relating to the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox with the message: “Your time is coming, for that you can be sure.”
The Scottish Prison Service has announced that Curtis died at HMP Grampian on Thursday January 11. As with all deaths in custody, a fatal accident inquiry will now be held to examine the circumstances.
Curtis and 60-year-old Philip Mitchell then teamed up to target Sheriff Robert McDonald on June 29 2021.
Mitchell wrestled the 67-year-old 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.
Curtis was found guilty of three charges of threatening and abusive behaviour towards Nicola Sturgeon, Mr Stevenson as well as to a former neighbour and local housing officer.
The crimes spanned between February 2019 and October 2020 at Curtis’s home in Aberchirder.
Jailing him for almost six years, Lord Weir told Curtis he was “entirely unrepentant”.
“The content of those messages was a complete disregard to the likely impact,” the judge said.
“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.”
Curtis turned to the dock and shrugged to the public gallery as he was led into the cells.