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Natalie McGarry lawyers claim former SNP MP didn't get fair trial over 'tsunami of tweets'

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dailyrecord.co.uk

Lawyers defending a former SNP MP jailed for embezzling thousands of pounds from two Scottish independence groups have appealed against her conviction, claiming she was prevented from receiving a fair trial as “a tsunami of tweets” were prejudicial.Natalie McGarry received a two-year prison sentence after being found guilty of stealing £19,974 while treasurer of the group Women For Independence last July.

The 41-year-old was also convicted of taking £4,661 when treasurer and convener of the SNP’s Glasgow Regional Association.McGarry, from Clarkston in East Renfrewshire, served as MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017.

She was then granted permission late last year to appeal against her conviction and sentence.Gordon Jackson KC, on defence, said one of the grounds for the appeal was prejudicial material circulating on social media ahead of McGarry’s trial.

He told an appeal hearing on Thursday that a series of “extremely nasty” tweets stopped the former MP from having a fair hearing because they influenced the jury.Prosecutors, however, asked for the appeal to be refused, claiming jury members were not subject to prejudicial information at the time of the trial.

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