Judge tells jury - put your prejudices aside
TRIAL judge Lady Dorrian told the jury they must set aside “emotional considerations, sympathies or indeed prejudices” before asking them to consider a verdict.
The jury was sent out yesterday to consider the charges against Alex Salmond, all of which he denies.
The jurors returned to the courtroom at 4.30pm and the trial was informed they were still deliberating. They are due to resume discussions at 10am on Monday. Verdicts can be returned unanimously or by a majority, with at least eight of the 15 jurors needing to agree.
During her instructions to the jury, Lady Dorrian said they could decide whether witnesses were “truthful or untruthful, accurate or mistaken”. She added: “It’s your recollection of the evidence that counts, not mine or anybody else’s.”
The judge added the “burden” of proving the case lies with the prosecution “from first to last”.
Later, she told jurors they were not tasked with deciding if the accused was a “difficult or moody man”. But the “general work atmosphere” may be relevant to their deliberations, she added.
The prosecution claimed that atmosphere around Salmond at work could be “intimidating and offensive”, the judge said, while the defence said it was “casual”.
Lady Dorrian said the defence accepted there was conduct by the accused that was “inappropriate”. She added: “Whether the conduct was criminal is entirely for you to decide.”
The judge explained there are three verdicts available – guilty, not guilty and not proven – the latter two both being verdicts of acquittal.