Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s office was given evidence that Bill Walker was “a tyrant and a bully” before he became an SNP MSP, it has been claimed.
Walker, 71, an independent MSP for Dunfermline, was convicted of a string of domestic abuse charges spanning almost three decades following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
The First Minister has urged him to resign his seat in the Scottish Parliament.
Walker’s former brother-in-law Rob Armstrong said he gave court documents to a staff member in Ms Sturgeon’s parliamentary office in February 2008, years before Walker was elected and subsequently convicted for domestic abuse.
SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said such allegations were “absolutely correctly” passed on to the party as they would not be a matter for an MSP’s office.
Mr Armstrong said the staff member “photocopied certain newspaper articles and advised me that she would pass this on to the executive and that I should expect to hear from someone in the executive in due course. I never heard anything further.”
When asked if the documents contained “hard evidence” about Walker’s past, he said. “Yes. There was also the judgment of a Swindon court, where a judge described William George Walker as a tyrant and a bully.”
Ms Fabiani said Ms Sturgeon’s constituency office acted “absolutely correctly” in passing the information to headquarters.
“It’s not a party office,” she said. “It’s your office as representative of the Scottish Parliament, and when someone comes in with a party issue the MSP’s staff would say quite clearly that it’s not a parliamentary matter, it’s not a matter for the MSP.”
The SNP’s vetting process is “stringent” but it is difficult to weed out liars, she said.
She said: “We’re not the police. We know that Bill Walker is a consummate liar. He denied everything in court. We know that he is manipulative and it’s very difficult to get through that sometimes.”
Ms Fabiani said Walker should “never set foot in our parliament again” but acknowledged that parliamentary rules only permit MSPs to be ejected if they serve more than a year in prison.
She added: “It was a summary case, so he won’t go beyond a year whatever the sentence is. This has to be discussed and there will be many calls for that, and we should be discussing with Westminster how the rules can be changed.”
Sheriff Kathrine Mackie found the 71-year-old, from Alloa, guilty of 24 offences, which all took place between 1967 and 1995.
She said he was not “a credible witness”.
Mr Walker, elected for the SNP in 2011 but now serving as an independent MSP, denied all charges.
Sheriff Mackie said: “There was evidence showing the accused to be controlling, domineering, demeaning and belittling towards the three complainers, his former wives.
“The evidence also showed him to be untrustworthy, disloyal and unfaithful towards others including his present wife.”
Walker, who has so far refused to stand down from Holyrood, will be sentenced on September 20.
First Minister Alex Salmond and SNP leader Alex Salmond said: “Although he has yet to be sentenced, in my view someone convicted of these offences is not fit to be a public representative and therefore he should stand down from the Scottish Parliament and allow the people of Dunfermline to elect a new MSP.
“Mr Walker was expelled from the SNP in April 2012 and his conviction by a court of law reinforces his expulsion.”
Labour’s Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty said: “Bill Walker must now allow West Fife to be served by an MSP who is capable of performing the role properly and resign from the Scottish Parliament straight away.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “It’s astonishing the SNP thought this man was fit to be an MSP after Nicola Sturgeon’s office was informed of a number of allegations against him.”
Labour’s Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker also called for Walker to stand down for his “vile conduct” which she said “shames the Scottish Parliament”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “What sort of message would it send to victims of domestic abuse if Bill Walker was allowed to keep his seat in Parliament despite his conviction?”
Walker refused to comment outside the court following the verdict but stood beside his solicitor, Russel McPhate, who made a statement on his behalf.
Mr McPhate said: “Mr Walker is obviously disappointed to be convicted of all the charges.
“The verdict and, in particular, the comments of the sheriff will be very carefully considered.
“In the meantime, he would like to thank his wife, his family, his colleagues, his staff and his friends who have supported him throughout this ordeal, which of course has lasted since March last year and is not over yet.”