ACCUSER DENIES SHE HAD ‘CONSENSUAL SEXUAL ENCOUNTER’ WITH ALEX SALMOND

A FORMER Scottish Government official who has accused Alex Salmond of attempted rape and sexual assault denied she had a consensual sexual encounter with him.

The woman, Ms H, has spoken about two alleged incidents, including one charge that the 65-year-old tried to rape her in June 2014.

Shelagh McCall, QC, representing Salmond, claimed the prosecution witness had a consensual sexual encounter with Salmond at Bute House in August 2013.

She said that the woman had kissed Salmond and he had kissed her back and she had unbuttoned his shirt and pulled down his trousers.

Mrs McCall added: ‘Mr Salmond says he did have an encounter with you, of a sexual nature with you, but it was in August 2013.’

But as she was giving evidence on the third day of the trial, Ms H said: ‘I have never been a willing participant of Alex Salmond’s advances towards me.’

Mrs McCall said the encounter had ended when the woman said to Salmond that she had not ‘meant this to happen’ and they realised they had got ‘carried away’ and it was a mistake.

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.’

But the woman said: ‘Absolutely not, it sounds a much better ending of an evening than what actually happened.’

During Mrs McCall’s cross-examination, she asked if Ms H had started to unbutton Salmond’s shirt. She replied: ‘No, absolutely not.’

Asked if Salmond kissed her and she had kissed him back, Ms H said she had ‘spent a large part of the night trying to avoid him’ and to ‘dodge his advances’. Mrs McCall

‘Mistake’: Shelagh McCall also asked if Ms H had helped to ‘pull his [Salmond’s] trousers down towards his knees’. Ms H said: ‘Absolutely not.’ She also told the court Salmond was drunk, adding: ‘I presume [he was] exhausted by his effort to get me to sleep with him.’ Asked if she said she did not ‘mean this to happen’, she said: ‘No.’ Mrs McCall put it to Ms H that she had been ‘embarrassed and upset’ but Salmond had told her not to worry about it and she had gone home. The woman said that this was not true. Salmond faces 14 charges of alleged offences against ten women. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. The trial, before judge Lady Dorrian, continues.