Ex-SNP councillor faces trial over 'racist' messages
Craig Melville is accused of 'threatening' a Muslim woman in a string of texts.
A former SNP councillor and aide to MP Stewart Hosie is stand trial accused of sending "threatening and abusive" messages to a Muslim SNP activist.
Craig Melville, 36, of Marlee Road, Dundee, is alleged to have sent a string of texts to Nadia El-Nakla, who works as a parliamentary assistant and senior case officer for Scottish health secretary Shona Robison.
Reports at the time said he sent a series of expletive-laden messages to Ms El-Nakla the day after the Paris terror attacks, with one stating: "I just f*****g hate your religion."
Melville was suspended by the SNP and quit as a Dundee city councillor when the claims came to light last January before he was charged in April.
Court documents show Melville faces a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards Ms El-Nakla between November 13 and 15, 2015, at Marlee Road.
Prosecutors say he behaved in a way "likely to cause a reasonable person fear and alarm" by sending a series of messages that "contained threatening, abusive and derogatory remarks regarding Muslims".
He entered a not guilty plea on Friday to the charge against him at Dundee Sheriff Court through his solicitors.
Melville denies a charge under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act, which is alleged to have been aggravated by religious prejudice.
Sheriff George Way set a trial in October and ordered Melville to attend a pre-trial hearing in September.