Trial delay over 'offensive' Captain Sir Tom Moore tweet

Captain Sir Tom Moore died in hospital after testing positive for Covid

The trial of a man who allegedly sent a grossly offensive tweet about Captain Sir Tom Moore the day after his death has been pushed back by several months.

Joseph Kelly, 35, denies sending the message "of an indecent, obscene or menacing character" about the NHS fundraiser on 3 February.

Mr Kelly, of Castlemilk, Glasgow, is on bail and was not present for the hearing at Lanark Sheriff Court.

The original trial date for this month has now been pushed back to 7 October.

The charge states that he "did cause to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network a post to the public using social media that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, and that did utter offensive remarks about Captain Sir Tom Moore, now deceased".

Sheriff Nikola Stewart said another pre-trial hearing would be held on 22 September.

Captain Sir Tom, who found fame for his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown, died in Bedford Hospital on 2 February after testing positive for Covid-19.

He walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday, raising more than £32m for the NHS.