Kathleen Nutt: Is the FM's support enough to save the humble crofter?

In all likelihood, the matter would have faded into the background had a covert recording of his boss Ian Blackford not emerged calling on MPs to welcome "Patrick back into the group" and encouraging them to give him as much support as possible.

The audio did not pick up any words of sympathy with the plight of Mr Grady's victim though cries of 'hear hear' could be heard in response to Mr Blackford's exhortations.

The impression was given of a group of politicians more intent on protecting one of their chums than standing up for an individual wronged.

As a result, the controversy shows no signs of abating and every sign of extending into its third week.

Not everyone at the meeting was happy about Mr Blackford's command to rally round Mr Grady.

The person who made and leaked the recording - it's not known who did so and we may never find out - was clearly down right disgusted by what was going on.

It's a far cry from the 56-strong 'tartan army' who took Westminster by storm back in May 2015 when they arrived to take their places on the green benches in ebullient form, eschewing Commons's custom to clap after each other's maiden speeches, take 'selfies' in the chamber, eating chips on the terrace, and attempt to remove the veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner from his customary seat.

The overall perception was of a large yet close-knit group, keen to look out for one another and champion individual and collective success. Within a couple of months, the Speaker John Bercow was singing their praises.

"Whatever you think of the SNP, their parliamentary party has said something very significant by its behaviour since May about group solidarity.

"They turn up in large numbers, they turn up very regularly, they turn up to support each other and a lot of them are already proving to be very good parliamentarians," Mr Bercow told an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that August.

Seven years on and I wonder what Mr Bercow's successor Sir Lindsay Hoyle would say about the group?

Tensions exploded into the public domain when Joanna Cherry, the MP for Edinburgh south west and a QC, was sacked in February last year as the party's justice and home affairs spokeswoman and they seem to have simmered since.

In March David Linden, MP for Glasgow East and the party’s work and pensions spokesman stood down from his frontbench role, officially to focus on his constituency work.

However, his decision raised eyebrows as it came just a month after he and colleague Chris Stephens were told off after defying the party whip in voting against - rather than abstaining as instructed - a Conservative Bill to increase benefits by just £10 a month.Recent months have seen behind the scenes whispers about Mr Blackford's future as leader of the group.

The leak of the recording - and indeed subsequent leak that the party would consider pursuing legal action against whoever made and gave the recording to newspaper - did as it intended.

It considerably harmed Mr Blackford. He released a statement on Tuesday evening saying he regretted that the victim did not feel supported.

Nicola Sturgeon condemned the support given by the SNP MPs as 'utterly unacceptable' during Thursday's session of First Minister's Questions and a few hours later Mr Blackford was quizzed over his future in TVs interviews.

By then Mr Blackford was beginning to face more questions over his own future than Mr Grady's.

It's far from where the SNP want to be just days ahead of the First Minister unveiling her route map to a second independence vote which she intends to hold in October next year.

Despite the rebuke at FMQs, for now Mr Blackford still seems to have Ms Sturgeon's confidence. But if the controversy carries on for much longer Mr Blackford may soon find Ms Sturgeon's backing much less robust.