Fending off Alex, Woman B alleges an assault by Alex Salmond was 'like wrestling with an octopus', in glorious evidence it was said Salmond feared 3 women, one being woman B, the others his wife and Nicola Sturgeon, his fear didn’t stop him having alleged multiple sex contacts behind his wife back, so it seems Alex Salmond has the ability to overcome his ‘fears’ at least according to his lawyers!

Dear All

Start of another week and the Alex Salmond trial just keeps on getting better in terms of the high drama. I think there is a TV series to come out of this yarn whatever way this trials ends or at least a high profile documentary. As we start a new week, a woman has described fending off an alleged assault by Alex Salmond as “like wrestling with an octopus”. The analogy is pretty straight forward from his accuser. Woman B is alleging Salmond the former First Minister grabbed her wrists and attempted to kiss her. She alleges this was done in a bid to recreate an “inappropriate” Christmas card scene.

What I find interesting in terms of evidence is that three civil servants told the court that staffing rules were “changed” to ensure key female staff did not work alone with Alex Salmond in his official residence in the evening. This begs several questions like how come Salmond’s deputy Nicola Sturgeon, SNP Ministers and Salmond’s army of special advisors didn’t know about the rule change? Are we to believe that the entire senior SNP right up to Nicola Sturgeon didn’t know a thing?

If this type of behaviour was going on following complaints you would think that such a situation would be common knowledge, one civil servant said staff were “frightened” of Alex Salmond, while another said the civil service considered withdrawing some support altogether "under the circumstances". You would think with such talk that there must be a paper trail especially leading to the change in staffing as it related to Salmond logged somewhere.

Did the Civil Service log such a change?

The court heard claims Salmond indecently assaulted a female civil servant known as Woman B, in Bute House, his official residence in Edinburgh, in late 2010.  The assault allegedly happened after a meeting during which senior staff had raised concerns that a Christmas card due to be sent out by the first minister and his wife was too “sexualised”.  The card apparently depicted a painting by the artist Jack Vettriano, showing a “quite scantily clad” women reaching up to kiss an older man in glasses.

Was this card shown to the Court and the jury for them to judge?

After the meeting finished at around 11pm, the woman was left alone with the first minister in the drawing room of Bute House, and he allegedly said,

"Let's recreate the pose on the Christmas card."

I don’t care who you are but saying this to me seems rather strange especially to someone who is a female member of staff

The woman said: 

“He grabbed my wrists and pulled me towards him and I was just shocked. It felt like every time I managed to get a hand off, another hand would appear.”

Woman B said he was “persistent”, adding:

“It felt like I was wrestling with an octopus.”

The civil servant said it felt like this went on "forever" but it probably lasted for seconds or a minute, I assume that if this alleged assault happened the woman must have felt everything was moving in slow motion and was surreal.

She added;

“He was leaning towards me, trying to pull me in to him, and because he had said, 'Let’s recreate the pose on the Christmas card,’ I knew it was a sexual approach.”

The woman said she “absolutely” did not consent, adding: 

“I felt alarmed and I wanted it to stop.”

The jury where then told the alleged assault only ended when a colleague came to the door.  

She said:

“I spoke to my line manager but I don’t think there was really an option to take things further at that time in the Scottish Government, because of the relationship that existed between the civil service and the First Minister."

If the line manager is still alive, then surely this person would have to give evidence to back up the woman B’s claim that she did speak to them in their capacity as line manager?

She added:

“I felt that if I had complained formally, I would have been the problem and I would have been removed – and I had worked really hard. If I had complained, I think it would have been swept under the carpet, and I think I would have suffered in my career as a result.”

One thing I do recognize which woman B is speaking about is the vindictive nature and modius operandi of the SNP to target people who make complaints, I know because this happened to me. I put in a complaint asking for an investigation because I was passed information that certain SNP members were allegedly smearing me. Nothing was done, then when I complained about how the SNP was operating publicly, I was targeted no less by William Henderson, the Nationalist Sec, when I went public, Henderson resigned and disappeared.

Later I decided not to be involved in the SNP phoney complaint against me setup by Henderson who was not only the complainer but also setting up the hearing against me; he was talking to the judges outside the process.

Totally against natural justice and human rights!

Woman B also said she never saw anybody in a senior position in the Scottish Government tackle the First Minister about his behaviour. If you understand how the SNP works you could be tempted to believe this. The SNP is run on the lines of the cult of personality, everything, but everything is done to protect the ‘Great Leader’ at all costs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality

The same doctrine still exists today in the party, Nicola Sturgeon was “transformed” from an angry vicious wee Nat into a caring superwoman, a Chief Mammy, a benevolent "guide" for the nation without whom the transformation to a better future could not occur without her presence. And that is all bullshit, the SNP plastered over the flaws but you can see the through the cracks, Nicola Sturgeon can't fake being caring, she can't fake being concerned, and she can't fake being a Chief Mammy, no matter how many kids she hugs or has surrounding her.

Under cross-examination, Shelagh McCall QC, Salmond's lawer, suggested the First Minister’s behaviour was “hijinks”. 

Woman B responded:

“I would say that it was 11 at night in an empty room at Bute House, and I don’t think that can be described as hijinks.”

Salmond, 65, faces multiple charges of sexual assault and one of attempted rape. He denies all the allegations but he has got some good news, he has been formally acquitted of a charge of sexual assault after the Crown offered no evidence.

Judge Lady Dorrian told Mr Salmond:

"In light of the decision of the advocate depute, I formally acquit you of charge six on the indictment."

Finally, although the corona virus is getting big media attention, this trial is worth a watch, sadly it is not televised which is a great shame. Along with this post, I found an interesting take on the SNP as a party lacking in moral values in the youtube video, take the time to watch it and ponder. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University