Alex Salmond to face trial on intercourse offence costs

Alex Salmond is to face trial on allegations that he sexually assaulted 10 ladies whereas serving as Scotland’s first minister.

The previous SNP chief will face a complete of 14 costs on the Excessive Court docket in Edinburgh.

They embody allegations of 10 sexual assaults, two indecent assaults, one tried rape and an assault with intent to rape.

Mr Salmond says he’s harmless, and has pled not responsible to the entire costs.

He has vowed to defend himself vigorously in the course of the trial, which will likely be held earlier than choose Woman Dorrian and a jury of 15 members of the general public.

The trial is anticipated to final about 4 weeks.

• What to expect during the Alex Salmond trial

It’s alleged that the offences had been dedicated at numerous places throughout Scotland, together with the Scottish Parliament and the primary minister’s official Bute Home residence in Edinburgh.

Mr Salmond, 65, was first minister of Scotland from Might 2007 till November 2014, when he stood down within the wake of the nation’s independence referendum.

What’s Mr Salmond accused of?

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The fees, which Mr Salmond denies, are set out in an indictment which incorporates the precise particulars of the allegations in opposition to the previous SNP chief.

As with all sexual offence circumstances in Scotland, the media will not be allowed to publish the names of the 10 alleged victims or another data that would determine them, except they provide permission.

The alleged tried rape is alleged to have occurred in June 2014 on the first minister’s official Bute Home residence in Edinburgh. He’s alleged to have pinned a girl in opposition to a wall and to have eliminated her garments and his personal, earlier than pushing her onto a mattress and mendacity bare on high of her.

The opposite 13 costs allege that Mr Salmond:

• Indecently assaulted a girl on numerous events in Glasgow in June and July 2008 by kissing her on the mouth and touching her buttocks and breasts along with his palms over her clothes
• Sexually assaulted the identical girl in December 2010 or December 2011 within the Ego nightclub in Edinburgh by touching her arms and hips along with his palms over her clothes
• Indecently assaulted a girl in October or November 2010 at Bute Home by repeatedly seizing her by the wrists and repeatedly pulling her in direction of him and making an attempt to kiss her
• Sexually assaulted a girl in a automotive in Edinburgh in February 2011 by touching her leg along with his hand over her clothes
• Sexually assaulted a girl on numerous events between 2011 and 2013 at Bute Home, the Scottish Parliament and different places by touching her buttocks along with his palms over her clothes, stroking her arms, and touching and stroking her hair
• Sexually assaulted a girl at Bute Home in October 2013 by eradicating her foot from her shoe, stroking her foot, lifting her foot in direction of his mouth and making an attempt to kiss her foot
• Sexually assaulted a girl at Bute Home in November or December 2013 by kissing her on the mouth
• Meant to rape the identical girl in December 2013 at Bute Home by inflicting her to sit down on a mattress, mendacity on high of her, making sexual remarks to her, touching her buttocks, thighs and breasts over her clothes along with his palms, repeatedly kissing her face, struggling together with her and pulling up her costume
• Sexually assaulted a girl in 2012 on the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in Glasgow by touching her buttocks along with his hand over her clothes
• Sexually assaulted the identical girl at Bute Home in April 2014 by inserting his arm round her, making sexual remarks to her and making an attempt to kiss her
• Sexually assaulted a girl at Bute Home in Might 2014 by inserting his arm round her physique, inserting his hand below her clothes and underwear and touching her breast, repeatedly kissing her on the face and neck and stroking her leg along with his hand
• Sexually assaulted a girl at Bute Home in September 2014 by seizing her by the shoulders, repeatedly kissing her on the face, making an attempt to kiss her on the lips and touching her leg and face along with his hand
• Sexually assaulted a girl at Stirling Citadel in November 2014 by touching her buttock along with his hand over her clothes

Mr Salmond says he’s harmless of all of the allegations in opposition to him, and has entered not responsible pleas to all 14 of the fees.