A MUSSELBURGH man who posted sinister tweets about murdering George Galloway has been ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community.

Alan Tilbrook, 63, wrote several threatening comments referring to the controversial All For Unity party leader and posted them on his Twitter page earlier this year.

The tweets (one pictured below), which are still live on Tilbrook's Twitter account, included: “This man [Galloway] only fit for a bullet thru the brain” and “[Galloway] shud (sic) have been shot years ago mite (sic) happen yet tho”.

East Lothian Courier: One of the threatening tweets Alan Tilbrook directed at George Galloway

Tilbrook, of Windsor Park Terrace, also posted a message reading: “You are not a Celt Galloway you are a traitor one day to meet a traitors (sic) end.”

The abusive comments were reported to the police and Tilbrook admitted the offence of uploading threatening messages to social media when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

READ MORE: Man in court over tweets about murdering George Galloway

He returned to the dock for sentencing today (Tuesday), where the court was told that he had lost his employment as an electrician due to the case.

Solicitor Mary Moultrie said that a social work report called for on the last occasion had not been prepared but asked Sheriff John Cook to deal with the matter regardless.

The lawyer added that her client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and that he had “co-operated fully with police”.

Sheriff Cook agreed to the motion and ordered Tilbrook to complete 70 hours of unpaid work as punishment.

The sheriff said: “Any form of threats, such as these made by you, are serious matters.

“They caused considerable concern and prompted investigation by the authorities who were acting on behalf of the victim in this case.

“The court must make it clear to you and others that if you try to frighten, terrify or alarm others, such behaviour will never be tolerated or acceptable.

“That said, you have already suffered the consequences of your remarks as you have lost your job.”

Previously, the court was told that several comments referring to the murder of Mr Galloway were published on Tilbrook’s Twitter feed – with the user name @loyaljock – over three days in March this year.

A plea of not guilty to a charge of posting similar threatening comments referring to the murder of Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross was accepted by the Crown.

George Galloway has been a Member of Parliament for four constituencies, firstly with the Labour Party and later with the Respect Party.

The 66-year-old is currently the leader of the Workers Party of Britain, which he founded in 2019, and is the lead spokesman for All For Unity, a Scottish-based party he founded to oppose the Scottish independence movement.

Tilbrook pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by uploading threatening social media messages and intimating that George Galloway was fit for a bullet through the brain, and uttering sinister comments about how he might be murdered on various occasions between March 17 and 19 this year.