Daily Record

Blue Peter star ’groped woman and laughed’

Court told Leslie put hands on stranger’s breasts at party

- BY JOE MORGAN

EX-BLUE Peter presenter John Leslie groped a woman at a celebrity Christmas party, a court was told yesterday.

The TV star, right, laughed as he walked off after the alleged sexual assault in 2008, the jury heard.

NICOLA Sturgeon should be investigat­ed over alleged false statements to MSPs, a member of the Holyrood inquiry into the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond has said.

The First Minister told Parliament she first heard of the allegation­s made against her predecesso­r at a meeting with him at her home on April 2, 2018. But it later emerged she was told about it by his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein in her office on March 29, 2018 – a meeting she claims she forgot about.

Last year, the First Minister referred herself to the independen­t advisers on the ministeria­l code after allegation­s that she attempted to influence the investigat­ion of allegation­s against Salmond, who was cleared in court in March.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said that probe, which is separate from his commitee’s investigat­ion, should expand its remit to include alleged false statements made by the First Minister to MSPs.

His call was backed by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, a fellow inquiry member.

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 ??  ?? ‘ACCIDENTAL’ Leslie, 55, denies sexual assault
‘ACCIDENTAL’ Leslie, 55, denies sexual assault
 ??  ?? INQUIRY Alex Cole-Hamilton
INQUIRY Alex Cole-Hamilton

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