AN ALVA man accused of sending offensive messages has claimed he was in the middle of an epileptic seizure at the time of the alleged offence.

The 41-year-old appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Monday (26 January) charged with sending texts of an indecent, obscene or menacing character in which he threatened to kill the recipient and himself.

The incident is alleged to have taken place between 15-17 February 2014 at an address in Tullibody.

Appearing on behalf the accused, defence lawyer Stan Quirk told the court that his client had been in the midst of a epileptic episode.

According to national charity Epilepsy Scotland, there are 42 different types of seizures which can affect those who suffer from the disease.

There are also some instances where criminal activity has been attributed to someone enduring such an event.

The case against the Alva man will go to trial on 23 February.