A BIGOT targeted a priest who urged people to pray for Prince George to be gay with hate mail.

Self-appointed monk Damon Kelly, 57, bombarded Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth, the Provost of St Mary's Cathedral Episcopal church, with letters and post cards branded gay people "devils droppings".

The anti-gay mail littered with vile phrases and insults included "homos and lesbos will not enter the kingdom of heaven" and called for Reverend Holdsworth to hang himself.

Kelly, from Westray, Orkney - who is part of a Catholic group known as the Black Hermits, denied behaving in a threatening or abusive manner between January 30, 2017 and February 7, 2017 by sending the mail, which was aggravated by sexual orientation and transgender prejudice.

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He stood trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he represented himself, and accepted sending the mail but denied it was criminal.

Sheriff Diana McConnell convicted Kelly - who has a similar conviction from 2016 for storming two church services in Argyllshire and ranting and church-goers.

During the week-long hate-campaign in February 2017, Kelly sent postcards and letters addressed to Reverend Holdsworth at St Mary's church in Glasgow's Great Western Road.

Kelly wrote: "Homos and lesbos will not enter the kingdom of heaven" and called gay people "devil's droppings".

During one abusive letter, Kelly said: "A would-be serial killer would in my opinion find useful employment if instead of the usual poor old prostitute, he were to embark upon the elimination of Anglican clerics."

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DC Marcus Shearer told prosecutor Marie McCue that when interviewed, Kelly admitted he sent the letters but said it was because of his religious beliefs.

Sheriff McConnell deferred sentence on Kelly until next month and continued his bail.

In 2017 Reverend Holdsworth was criticised for writing in a blog that people should pray for Prince George "to be blessed one day with the love of a fine young gentleman".

He wrote: "A royal wedding might sort things out remarkably easily though we might have to wait 25 years for that to happen."

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