Alex Salmond has been cleared of sexually assaulting nine women while he was first minister.
Salmond was found not guilty of 12 charges by a jury following a two-week trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Another charge was found not proven – a verdict of acquittal – while a 14th was dropped during the 11-day trial.
The 65-year-old had faced allegations of attempted rape, sexual assaults, including one with intent to rape, and indecent assaults.
Speaking outside court, Salmond said: “There is certain evidence that I would have liked to have seen led in this trial but for a variety of reasons we were not able to do so.
“Those facts will see the light but it won’t be this day.”
He added: “I’d like to thank my friends and family for standing by me over the last two years.”
He also thanked those who have sent him messages, his “brilliant” legal team and the court service who he said have been “courteous beyond limit”.
Salmond, wearing his trademark saltire tie, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read out.
He turned to the two court security officers and said “thank you” to each of them.
Judge Lady Dorrian discharged Salmond and he said “Thank you my lady”, before leaving the courtroom.
Salmond had denied all the charges and giving evidence claimed some were “deliberate fabrications for a political purpose”.
He was first arrested and charged by Police Scotland in relation to the allegations in January 2019.
The verdicts in full
Salmond was found not guilty of indecent assault of a woman, known as Ms A, 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.
He was found not guilty of sexual assault of the same woman on an occasion in December 2010 at a nightclub in Edinburgh, by touching her arms, breasts and hips with his hands over her clothing.
Mr Salmond was found not guilty of indecent assault of a woman, known as Ms B, 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.
He was found not guilty of sexual assault of a woman, known as Ms C, 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.
He was also found not guilty of sexual assault of a woman, known as Ms D, 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, and touching and stroking her hair.
The jury returned a not proven verdict after Alex Salmond was accused of sexually assaulting a woman with intent to rape on an occasion in December 2013 at Bute House, Edinburgh, 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.
He was found not guilty of sexually assaulting the same woman, known as Ms F, on an occasion between November and December 2013 at the same place by kissing her on the mouth.
Salmond was found not guilty of sexual assault of a woman, known as Ms G, on an occasion in March 2012 at Ubiquitous Chip, a restaurant in Ashton Lane, Glasgow, by touching her buttocks with his hand over her clothing.
He was also found not guilty of sexually assaulting 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.
Salmond was found not guilty of the attempted rape of a woman at the first minister’s official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh.
He was accused of repeatedly kissing her, groping her, blocking her path, pinning her against a wall, stripping himself and pushing her on to a bed, pinning her to the bed, lying naked on top of her and trying to rape her, on an occasion in June 2014.
He was found not guilty of sexually assaulting the same woman, known as Ms H, at Bute House the previous month, 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.
Salmond was found not guilty of sexual assault of a woman, known as Ms J, 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.
He was also found not guilty of sexually assaulting another woman, known as Ms K, on an occasion in November 2014 at Stirling Castle by touching her buttock with his hand over her clothing.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
