An MP who admitted to putting people at risk by travelling from London to Scotland by train when she knew she had Covid has been ordered to complete a 270-hour community payback order.
Margaret Ferrier was told the sentence was a direct alternative to custody and that she will need to carry out the unpaid work within nine months.
Imposing the order at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull told the MP: "The public rightly expect the people elected to represent them to set an example.
"You wilfully ignored the rules and did not isolate. Having tested positive you wilfully disregarded guidance and travelled by train."
He continued: "It cannot be overlooked that your behaviour took place at a time of significant restrictions and before the vaccination programme had begun."
Ferrier, 62, admitted she had culpably and recklessly exposed the public "to the risk of infection, illness and death" at a hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court last month.
The MP travelled in and around Glasgow and to London in September 2020 after taking a Covid tests.
While awaiting the results, the Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP spoke in the House of Commons and visited places in London.
A court heard she then took the train home to Glasgow after being told she had tested positive for Covid-19.
Ferrier, who was only elected in 2019, lost the SNP whip after the allegations emerged, which means she sits as an independent MP.
At the time, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called on her to "do the right thing" and resign, describing Ferrier's actions as "dangerous and indefensible".
During the hearing last month, the court heard that Ferrier, of Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, did a test for Covid-19 on September 26 after showing symptoms, including a cough.
The next day she read to a congregation of about 45 people at a mass in St Mungo's Church, Glasgow, before heading to Vic's bar in Main Street, Prestwick, South Ayrshire.
She then travelled to London by train on September 28 and spoke in the Commons later that day.
A short time after, she found out she had tested positive for the virus.
The court heard Test and Protect had tried to contact her three times and left two voicemails at about 10am that day before Ferrier returned the call at about 2pm, almost four hours later.
Ferrier then returned to her hotel, where she spent the night, before heading back to London Euston and taking the train home to Glasgow, knowing she had Covid-19.
Lawyer Brian McConnachie KC said Ferrier had continued as normal following her Covid test on September 26 because she was sure it would be negative, as she felt better the next day.
He told the court: "The brevity of her symptoms she had experienced led her to the situation that she was convinced that the result of her test would be negative and then, demonstrating for her a remarkable lack of thought and a remarkable lack of consideration for others, she then went about her normal business."
He said that Ferrier wore a mask on the train to London and wore a mask and observed social distancing as situations required at the time.
However, he said the MP experienced "uncontrolled panic " when her test result came back positive while in London and returned to Glasgow as soon as possible to isolate.
He said she feels remorse for her actions. Ferrier left court without commenting.
She will avoid a by-election in her seat as she was not handed jail time by Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Under Parliament's rules, a politician who is handed a prison sentence of more than 12 months is automatically disqualified from being an MP.
If the MP is handed a prison sentence of less than 12 months then a recall petition is triggered. If more than 10% of their constituents back the petition then a by-election is called.
A recall petition was held in Peterborough in 2019 after ex-Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was sentenced to three months in prison on conviction for perverting the course of justice in December 2018.
She appealed but the appeal failed in March 2019. The recall was successful with over 25% of registered voters signing the petition.
She did not fight the by-election, which was won by Labour in June 2019. However the Tories took the seat at the general election.
