Former SNP leader and first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday accused of a string of sex offences, including attempted rape.
Salmond, of Strichen, Aberdeenshire, appeared for a preliminary hearing before Lady Dorrian, where he faced 14 charges alleged to have taken place over a six-year period.
One offence is said to have happened at the Scottish Parliament and another at Stirling Castle.
According to the attempted rape charge, Salmond blocked his alleged victim’s path, pinned her against a wall, pushed her on to a bed and lay naked on her at Bute House in Edinburgh in June 2014.
In addition, Salmond is also accused of assaulting a woman with the intent to rape her in the luxury taxpayer-funded Charlotte Square residence in December 2013.
Shortly before 10am yesterday, the country’s press squeezed into courtroom number three, before Salmond – clad in a charcoal suit, blue shirt and saltire-patterned tie – walked to the dock from the public benches.
The 64-year-old sat flanked by two security guards, who he greeted with a hello and a smile, before presiding judge Lady Dorrian entered.
Discussions between the bench and Lady Dorrian proceeded, during which Gordon Jackson QC, representing Salmond, said his client denied the allegations.
In total, 10 women have alleged offences against the veteran independence campaigner.
They cannot be named because complainers in cases involving allegations of sexual offences have the right to lifelong anonymity under Scots Law.
The indictment faced by Salmond includes a charge of attempted rape, 11 allegations of sexual assault – including one with intent to rape – and two of indecent assault.
The charges span a period between June 2008 and November 2014.
One of the instances of sexual assault is said to have taken place in September 2014, the month of the Scottish independence referendum.
Other charges involve alleged incidents in which Salmond is said to have indecently assaulted a woman by kissing her mouth and groping her on various occasions around Glasgow between June and July 2008.
It is also alleged he sexually assaulted a woman on various occasions between May 2011 and June 2013 at the Scottish Parliament, Bute House and elsewhere by touching her bottom and stroking other parts of her body.
Salmond – who was Scotland’s first minister from 2007 to 2014 – is further accused of taking off a woman’s shoe and trying to kiss her foot during a car journey in Edinburgh on a date in October 2013.
The indictment states that in September 2014, Salmond grabbed a woman by her shoulders at Bute House, repeatedly kissed her face, tried to kiss her lips and touched her leg and face.
Several charges involve allegations the accused groped women, including one instance at a restaurant in Glasgow in March 2012.
The court hearing, which lasted around 15 minutes, heard from Mr Jackson and the advocate depute.
They agreed to a further preliminary trial date, which will take place on January 22.
A trial date has been fixed for March 9 2020 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The defence advised Lady Dorrian the trial is expected to take four weeks to complete.
The charges faced by the former first minister
- Indecent assault of a woman on various occasions in June and July 2008 in Glasgow by kissing her on the mouth and touching her buttocks and breast with his hands over her clothing.
- Sexual assault of the same woman on an occasion in December 2010 or December 2011 at Ego, a nightclub in Edinburgh, by touching her arms and hips with his hands over her clothing.
- Indecent assault of a woman on an occasion between October and November 2010 at Bute House in Edinburgh by repeatedly seizing her by her wrists and repeatedly pulling her towards him and attempting to kiss her.
- Sexual assault of a woman in a car travelling between Holyrood Road and Waverley Station in Edinburgh on an occasion in February 2011 by touching her leg with his hand over her clothing.
- Sexual assault of a woman on various occasions between May 2011 and June 2013 at Bute House, at the Scottish Parliament and elsewhere by touching her buttocks with his hands over her clothing, stroking her arms, and touching and stroking her hair.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion in October 2013 at Bute House by removing her foot from her shoe, stroking her foot, lifting her foot towards his mouth and attempting to kiss her foot.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion between November and December 2013 at Bute House by kissing her on the mouth.
- Intent to rape of the same woman on an occasion in December 2013 at Bute House by causing her to sit on a bed, lie on top of her, make sexual remarks to her, touch her buttocks, thighs and breasts over her clothing with his hands, repeatedly kiss her face, struggle with her and pull up her dress.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion in March 2012 at Ubiquitous Chip, a restaurant on Ashton Lane, Glasgow, by touching her buttocks with his hand over her clothing.
- Sexual assault of the same woman on an occasion in April 2014 at Bute House by placing his arm around her, making sexual remarks to her and attempting to kiss her.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion in May 2014 at Bute House by placing his arm around her body, placing his hand under her clothing and underwear and touching her breast, repeatedly kissing her on the face and neck and stroking her leg with his hand.
- Attempted rape of the same woman on an occasion in June 2014 at Bute House by lifting her legs and placing them over his legs, repeatedly kissing her on the face and neck, placing his hand inside her upper clothing and touching her breast over her underwear, repeatedly blocking her path, pinning her against a wall, pulling at her clothing and underwear, removing his clothing and underwear, pushing her on to a bed, kneeling over her, pinning her to the bed by her shoulder, lying naked on top of her and then trying to rape her.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion in September 2014 at Bute House by seizing her by her shoulders, repeatedly kissing her on the face, attempting to kiss her on the lips and touching her leg and face with his hand.
- Sexual assault of a woman on an occasion in November 2014 at Stirling Castle by touching her buttock with his hand over her clothing.Salmond denies the charges and pled not guilty yesterday.