SIMPLE Minds frontman Jim Kerr's brother called one of the band's albums "pure sh*t" before "relentlessly" stalking two "superfans" of the group, a court heard today.

Paul Kerr, 55, repeatedly accused John and Julie Fagan of being child rapists who wanted to harm his brother after John agreed the new work was a "big mistake" on Facebook, jurors were told.

He created fake Facebook profiles to post "extreme sexual abuse" claims against the married couple, who used to go to a hotel owned by Jim Kerr in Sicily every year for their wedding anniversary.

Jonathan Edwards, prosecuting, said: "Paul Kerr is a resident of Brighton and he is a brother of Jim or Jimmy Kerr who, as some of you may know, is the lead singer of the band Simple Minds.

"The complainants in counts one and two are John and Julie Fagan, who live in Canterbury in Kent. They are both very keen fans of Simple Minds.

"They had regularly followed the band's tours around the country and John Fagan, in particular, had seen the band in concert 356 times over the course of some 35 years so a committed fan.

"In total it seems he was banned for 210 days or thereabouts and after each ban period was over he continued to post abuse against the Fagans.

"In January of last year 2018 there was a lot of hype, a lot of discussion about the new album from Simple Minds.

"In January of 2018 Mr Kerr, who had a Facebook page that was followed by a lot of people because of his obvious connection to the band, suggested that new album in his view was of poor quality, in his phrase, was 'pure sh*t'.

"Mr Fagan had said he wasn't happy with the new line up in the band and would not agree with going to see them in concert.

"John Fagan posted... 'I think it's a big mistake that they got rid of their drummer and their keyboarder.' "It was a few days later when Paul Kerr replied to that posting in his Facebook page by John Fagan.

"Mr Kerr referred to them, the Fagans as two Simple Minds superfans. It's assumed that Mr Kerr must have gone to John Fagan's Facebook page to look him up and there found he was married to Julie.

"He also apparently tried to find out their addresses by contacting the hotel in Sicily where they go every year to celebrate their wedding anniversary, the hotel is owned by Jim Kerr and is in fact, it's Paul Kerr's son who works at the hotel as well.

"Mr Kerr had publicly suggested on his Facebook page that they, the Fagans had contacted him for help to harm Jim Kerr. Then he seemed to escalate things by suggesting again publicly that John Fagan was a rapist of a nine-year-old boy.

"The defendant took some pictures of the Fagans profile pictures from their Facebook pages and he reposted them on his own Facebook so as to publicly identify them.

"The Fagans were understandably very upset because what he was posting about them was untrue but also very fearful because somebody out there could believe the posts and take the law into their own hands and try to harm the Fahans."

Mr Edwards said Kerr created fake Facebook profiles to post rape allegations against the Fagans - including under his mother's name Irene Kerr.

"The weight of his online abuse was a heavy burden and it affected their lives immensely. Mr Kerr had threatened to come to Canterbury to cripple John Fagan and to drag Julie Fagan by her hair to a police station and at one point Julie Fagan even contemplated how she might cope if she was left as a widow. It was relentless, there were even posts against them by this defendant at 4am. It's obviously something he is thinking about morning, noon and night."

He contacted police accusing Mr Fagan of making murder threats against him and claimed his computer had been hacked by the couple and his ex Elizabeth Vanthof, who he allegedly also stalked after she broke up with him, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Mr Edwards said: "You may wonder why the three of them would go to such lengths to frame the defendant as he claimed. You may conclude as the prosecution suggest that it simply doesn't make sense for them to react in that way. It doesn't make sense because it's not true."

He is charged with stalking that caused the Fagans to fear violence at least twice between January and November 17 last year, Lewes Crown Court was told.

The Scot is also accused of stalking, causing alarm or distress, to his ex Elizabeth Vanthof between April 20 and November 17 that year.

Kerr, of Brighton, denies all three counts.

He appeared in the dock clean-shaven with greying hair and wearing a black fleece, and used headphones to listen to proceedings.

Kerr is charged with sending messages and posting statements online about the Fagans that caused them to fear violence would be used against them on at least two occasions.

He is also said to have sent "numerous emails, text messages, made numerous calls and left voice messages" to Miss Vanthof.

The trial continues.