Tommy Sheridan guilty of extramarital affair lie
Disgraced former MSP Tommy Sheridan will be sentenced today after being found guilty of lying under oath about his trips to a sex club and an extra-marital affair.
The political firebrand was returning to the High Court in Glasgow where he was expected to be given a custodial sentence.
After spending Christmas at home with his wife Gail and five-year-old daughter Gabrielle, Sheridan was preparing for the possibility that he could receive up to five years in prison.
He was expected to have his wife by his side … as she had been during their long- running perjury trial.
Last month’s verdict of guilty to five charges of perjury for the Scottish Socialist Party founder – Gail was cleared of all charges –came on day 48 of proceedings at the High Court.
Judge Lord Bracadale told him: “You must return to court expecting to begin a prison sentence.”
Sheridan was charged with perjury after his 2006 court victory against the News of the World, when he denied that its stories of orgies and a sex club visit were true.
But the jury last month found that Sheridan had visited Cupid’s in Manchester with Anvar Khan, Katrine Trolle, Gary Clark and his brother-in-law Andrew McFarlane.
The newspaper is to proceed with its appeal against the original 2006 case.
The case is believed to have been the longest-running perjury trial in Scottish legal history with a prosecution bill, including police costs, in the region of £4million.
The Sheridans, both 46, emerged from the court in a crush of photographers and supporters, many chanting “innocent, innocent, innocent” as the couple positioned themselves in front of the cameras.
But former SSP colleagues of Sheridan accused him of “doing more harm than good” to the socialist cause in Scotland.
Sheridan’s wife said she would stick by him, saying: “Our family and our real friends – our real friends – have stood by us. I have, and will always, stand by Tommy.”
Earlier this month it was revealed Gail Sheridan is to stand for election as an MSP when Scotland goes to the polls in May. She is planning to run as a candidate for Solidarity, the party founded by her husband.
The former MSP, who suffered physical and emotional exhaustion, and high blood pressure during the trial, sought to defend himself with claims that his political colleagues conspired to oust him from his figurehead role in the SSP.
A total of 16 SSP colleagues told the High Court that Sheridan confessed to them that he had visited Cupid’s.
Rosie Kane, his ex-colleague at the Scottish Parliament, now claims Sheridan is a “dangerous man”.
Category: Celebrity Adultery News
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