A SCOTTISH independence activist from Rosyth who named women who gave evidence against Alex Salmond has been jailed for six months.

Clive Thomson, 52, breached a strict court order which prohibited the identification of the complainers who gave evidence at the former first minister’s trial last year.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that he named the females on Twitter on two different occasions in August last year.

Lady Dorrian, the judge who presided over the trial which resulted in Mr Salmond being acquitted of all charges, had passed the order.

However the defence industry worker, who has since been suspended from his job with Babcock at Rosyth Dockyard, ignored it.

Lady Dorrian told him: “The court has taken account of the fact that this was a deliberate and indeed planned contempt of court.

"It is a very serious matter. There are very good reasons why complainers in sexual offences cases are given anonymity.

"The protection is extended by convention to complainers in all cases – not just the one which we are concerned.

“It so happens that the protection in this case was backed up by a specific order by the court to underline the importance and you knew that this order had been made.

“Nevertheless you deliberately took it into your own hands to flout that order and post the names of those involved, believing the second time that you were safe from proceedings from contempt of court by being abroad.

“You had given thought about how you were going to get away with it, you went as far as seek advice about that on Twitter.

“Clearly you decided to take a calculated risk.

"The reason for such protection extends beyond the complainers in the present case is that the risk of public knowledge for their identities can operate as a severe deterrent to others against making complaints to public authorities."

Defence advocate Mark Stewart QC urged Lady Dorrian, Lord Pentland and Lord Matthews not to send his client to prison.

He said Thomson cared for his wife, who was currently shielding, and was the family’s main breadwinner.

Mr Stewart said that his client was remorseful for his conduct and added: "As a consequence of the process he has fully understood both the significance of his conduct; the potential effect that his conduct might have on those engaged in the criminal justice process and also the gravity of the conduct.”

Lady Dorrian interrupted his submission and said: “That’s what they call barring the stable door after the horse is bolted.”

Mr Stewart said Thomson understood that a prison sentence was "a significant risk" but asked the court to accept it was an "an act of extreme foolishness by someone who was acting in a way that was not calculated, but was effectively an act of folly and bravado".

He added: "I would ask the court to consider his remorse, his guilt and his immediate acknowledgement of his wrongdoing when considering its disposal.”

However Lady Dorrian said what he did was so wrong that jail was the only option available to the court.

She told Thomson: "You not only provide the names of five of the complainers, you linked them with the initials by which they were referred in mainstream media. 

"First you tweeted the name of one complainer, and were immediately warned in response by someone else that this was contempt. 

"In the face of both that warning and the court order you tweeted other names. 

"Your actions were clearly politically motivated, with a small ‘p', as can be seen from the content of the third sentence of the second post. 

"The first three words show very clearly that you knew what you were doing and that you deliberately chose to flout the order of the court. “

Lady Dorrian continued: "This was a blatant and deliberate breach of the order which was likely to cause serious stress and concern to the complainers and interfere with the protection extended to them by the order.

“We have listened to the points advanced on your behalf this morning.

“We are not unmindful of the effect that prison will have on your life and that of members of your family.

“However, for such a premeditated contempt, we are satisfied that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence and we therefore propose to impose a sentence of six months imprisonment from today’s date.”

Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault earlier this year. A further charge of sexual assault had previously been dropped by prosecutors.

In a post made on a fundraising website, Mr Thomson requested financial assistance for his case, saying he needed a QC and legal team “regarding a contempt of court charge, over the Alex Salmond case”.

As of last month he had raised £275 of a £5,000 target.