A former binman who posted gun icons on a Facebook video of a speech by SNP MP Tommy Sheppard has been fined.

Glen Scobbie, 26, claimed he thought the politician he was threatening was the socialist politician Tommy Sheridan.

Scobbie defended himself at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which heard he had posted the pistol "emojis" just half an hour after Sheppard, the nationalist MP for Edinburgh East, had put up a video promoting his political work.

Prosecutor Michael Maguire said the video had been "shared" by a friend of Scobbie's, to which the accused replied with a threat to "shoot" Mr Sheppard.

Mr Maguire said: "This text was followed by two emoticon images of a handgun."

The post came to the attention of one of Mr Sheppard's associates who was alarmed enough to contact police. Scobbie voluntarily attended Falkirk police office and was detained. He told police he had, "done it for a laugh".

Scobbie claimed he had not heard about the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox and was told by Sheriff Derek Livingston that he did not appear to know much about politics.

The accused, who has no prior convictions, said: "It was meant to be a joke between me and my pal. I didn't think anybody else would see it. I lost my job as a binman at Falkirk Council because of it."

After he was detained, police asked him: "Do you know Tommy Sheppard?" To which he replied: "It was a Tommy Sheridan post I thought."

Fining Scobbie £280, Sheriff Livingston told him: "You have to understand in this day and age that when you post something on Facebook, far more people will become aware of it than if you even shouted it in the street."

He concluded: "I accept it was more stupidity than anything intended, but it clearly did cause alarm."