Prosecutor’s closing speech on ‘predator’ Salmond
suggested, and that was “a sexual predator with escalating gravity”. Woman A told how she “came to expect” the behaviour from Salmond, Mr Prentice explained, when the ex-SNP leader would allegedly kiss her on the lips. He said that was a “pretty sad indictment of what was going on”. Mr Prentice discussed allegations centred around Woman F. Salmond is accused of assault with intent to rape her in a bedroom at Bute House, his official residence when he was first minister. The prosecutor remarked upon her evidence that Salmond said, “Get on the bed”, describing them as “chilling words”. He asked if it was a “consensual” encounter, which
Salmond told the court it was, then “why would she tell anyone”?
He said she’d told colleagues about it and Salmond had apologised to her.
Mr Prentice raised the notion that there was a “conspiracy to prevent Mr Salmond from returning to politics”.
He asked: “What was the purpose of this conspiracy? Who was to gain by it?”
The accusers were both SNP party members and career civil servants, he said, and added Salmond had stated he didn’t plan to return to politics.
“Power and sexual gratification are not necessarily separate in my submission,” Mr Prentice told the court.
He added: “I suggest there is a further common theme running through this case and it is that these ladies effectively had no one to turn to.
“They felt they couldn’t speak out and expose what had been taking place. They didn’t consider that they had any real option.”
Earlier the defence had called its final witnesses. Aileen Easton, 54, who worked as head of communications in Salmond’s office when he was first minister, described him as “very demanding” and that he “demanded the best of all his staff ”.
Easton, now head of news for the Scottish Government, said the job with Salmond was “extremely exciting”.
She described seeing Salmond and Woman D on one occasion when they walked “fairly close together” and seemed “quite familiar”.
The witness added they were closer than you would expect in a “professional situation”.
She agreed with Gordon Jackson QC, acting for Salmond, that it “raised an eyebrow”.
Mr Jackson asked if it showed a “level of closeness and familiarity” between Salmond and Woman D that you “did not like the look of ”. The witness replied: “That’s fair.” Salmond denies sexually assaulting