Woman denies lying about Alex Salmond ‘attempted rape’

The former first minister's trial hears more evidence from a woman who accuses him of attempted rape.

Woman denies lying about Alex Salmond ‘attempted rape’

A former Scottish Government official has denied having a consensual sexual encounter with Alex Salmond.

The woman, who accuses Salmond of attempted rape and sexual assault, told a court: “I have never been a willing participant of Alex Salmond’s advances towards me.

“I’m not lying, I’m here to protect other people from what happened to me.”

Salmond, 65, denies 14 charges at the High Court in Edinburgh of sexually assaulting ten women while he was first minister.

Shelagh McCall QC, representing Salmond, said the pair had a consensual sexual encounter at Bute House in August 2013 – nearly a year before the alleged offences.

She added: “Mr Salmond says he did have an encounter with you, of a sexual nature with you, but it was in August 2013.”

Ms McCall asked the woman, known as Ms H, if she had unbuttoned Salmond’s shirt and kissed him in a bedroom in Bute House before taking down his trousers.

She said: “When you went into the Connery bedroom and Mr Salmond followed you in, did you start to unbutton Mr Salmond’s shirt?

“Did you kiss him and he kiss you back? Did you undo your trousers? Did you help pull his trousers down towards his knees?

“Because is the truth of the matter that Mr Salmond’s underpants were not down, just his trousers, during this encounter?”

But the woman said: “Absolutely not, as I have got this horrific image of him being fully aroused and lying over me.”

Ms McCall said the encounter ended when the woman said to Salmond that she had not “meant this to happen”.

She added: “I am putting to you that’s exactly what you said at that point.

“The two of you sat up, put your clothes back on, realised it was a mistake.”

Ms H said: “Absolutely not, it sounds a much better ending of an evening than what actually happened.”

She said Salmond was “drunk” and had claimed he was a “great lover”.

Ms McCall said the woman had been “embarrassed and upset” but Salmond told her not to worry about it and she had gone home.

Ms H replied: “That’s not true.”

Salmond faces 14 charges of alleged offences against ten women, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.

The charges span a period between June 2008 and November 2014.

The trial, before judge Lady Dorrian, continues

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