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PA Media
A girl who Alex Salmond is accused of trying to rape didn’t attend a dinner at his official residence on the night time the incident is alleged to have occurred, a witness has claimed.
The witness, Samantha Barber, mentioned she had attended a meal with Mr Salmond and a star at Bute Home in June 2014.
She mentioned she had not seen a authorities official often known as Lady H there.
Lady H has beforehand informed the trial that Mr Salmond “pounced” on her after the dinner and took her garments off.
The Excessive Court docket in Edinburgh additionally heard proof from the celeb final week, who informed police that he may bear in mind Lady H being on the dinner.
Mr Salmond denies trying to rape Lady H, and an extra cost of sexually assaulting her the earlier month.
He additionally denies an extra 11 prices of sexual assault in opposition to eight different girls, all of that are alleged to have occurred whereas he was Scotland’s first minister and the chief of the SNP.
Giving proof to his trial on Wednesday, Ms Barber mentioned she knew Lady H and had a “robust recollection” of being invited by her to attend the dinner with the celeb and Mr Salmond.
Nevertheless, the businesswoman mentioned her recollection was that Lady H had informed her she wouldn’t be there.
She went on to say that it had solely been her, Mr Salmond and the celeb who have been on the dinner.
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Bute Home is the primary minister’s official residence
Ms Barber mentioned there had been a bottle of wine however she was not ingesting as a result of she was driving residence afterwards, and that she had left Mr Salmond and the celeb at about 21:00.
Requested by defence lawyer Shelagh McCall QC whether or not she had seen Lady H at any level that night time, Ms Barber replied: “No, I did not.”
When prosecutor Alex Prentice QC later put it to her that Lady H had certainly been there, Ms Barber replied: “No.”
She went on to say: “I completely genuinely haven’t any recollection of seeing (Lady H) that night time.”
Lady H alleged in the course of the first day of the trial that Mr Salmond “pounced” on her after the dinner.
She claimed that he ignored her pleas to cease and began eradicating each his garments and hers, earlier than pushing her onto a mattress and getting on high of her whereas he was bare.
Mr Salmond informed the court docket on Tuesday that he had a earlier “consenting sexual encounter” with Lady H which didn’t lead to full intercourse.
He mentioned Lady H’s allegations in opposition to him have been “lies”, and that she had been offended when he had not endorsed a private political challenge she had been concerned in.
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The witness was questioned by prosecutor Alex Prentice QC
Additionally giving proof on Wednesday was former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who mentioned Lady H had texted her in 2015 to say that “it might be nice to work with Alex once more”.
She mentioned Lady H was later “clearly very aggravated” that her challenge had not been endorsed by Mr Salmond.
Ms Ahmed-Sheikh additionally mentioned she had been at Stirling Citadel in November 2014 and had watched Mr Salmond having his {photograph} taken with a former civil servant often known as Lady Okay, however had not seen something untoward.
The previous first minister is alleged to have put his hand on the underside of Lady Okay whereas the {photograph} was being taken.
Among the many different defence witnesses on Wednesday have been a feminine civil servant who mentioned she had by no means felt uncomfortable round Mr Salmond and was not conscious of any system to forestall girls working alone with him at night time.
What has the trial heard thus far?
One other witness, Alexander Anderson, mentioned he had labored for Mr Salmond for 15 years in varied roles.
Mr Anderson mentioned the previous first minister had “at all times been tactile” and would shake arms and hug individuals on the street.
However he mentioned Mr Salmond’s behaviour was “completely not inappropriate”.
Mr Salmond says he’s harmless of all of the allegations in opposition to him.
He has entered not responsible pleas to all 13 of the costs which he nonetheless faces, which embrace one cost of tried rape, one in every of sexual assault with intent to rape, 9 sexual assaults and two indecent assaults.
He was acquitted of a…