Former Scottish UKIP chairman sentenced for sex calls

The former chairman of UKIP in Scotland has been ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work after admitting 10 sexual offences involving phone calls to women.

Arthur Misty Thackeray, 55, made the calls to 10 different women between October 2007 and December 2015.

Nine of the charges involved sending or directing "sexual verbal communication" and one was a breach of the peace.

Thackeray has been placed on the sex offenders register for three years.

Sheriff Martin Jones QC told him: "Be under no illusion, these offences you committed against these women are serious and caused distress."

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told none of Thackeray's victims knew him and it is thought he may have found their numbers on posters advertising slimming classes and, in one case, from an advert in a shop window.

The calls were made from Thackeray's home in Glasgow, from an address at 1 Colme Street in Edinburgh and from "elsewhere".

UKIP Scotland leader and MEP David Coburn's office is at the same address in Edinburgh.

Defence lawyer Callum Hiller said his client have given up drinking since the offences.

He added: "He now completely regrets his actions, he fully understands the significant distress his behaviour would have caused, if he could take it back he most certainly would."