Alex Salmond trial: Girl says former first minister ‘apologised’ for behaviour

A former civil servant has claimed that Alex Salmond apologised to her for his “unacceptable” behaviour.

The girl, referred to as Girl F, stated the apology got here after Mr Salmond informed her to take a seat on a mattress, lifted up her skirt and stated she was “irresistible”.

She denied a suggestion from Mr Salmond’s lawyer that there had merely been a “little bit of cuddling” between her and the previous first minister.

Mr Salmond denies sexually assaulting Girl F with intent to rape.

The incident is alleged to have occurred on the first minister’s official Bute Home residence in Edinburgh in December 2013.

Mr Salmond additionally denies an extra cost that he sexually assaulted the identical girl by kissing her on the mouth at Bute Home in November or December of the identical 12 months.

He has lodged particular defences of consent to each of the fees.

The courtroom additionally heard a declare throughout Thursday’s proof that guidelines had been launched in 2013 to forestall girls working unaccompanied with Mr Salmond in Bute Home.

Girl F informed the Excessive Court docket in Edinburgh that her job as a Scottish authorities civil servant meant she often labored lengthy hours.

She stated she had introduced some paperwork to Mr Salmond within the Bute Home sitting room, which had been very chilly due to an issue with the heating.

Girl F claimed that Mr Salmond had prompt they go upstairs to the bed room, as a result of it was hotter.

She stated this didn’t appear to be an unreasonable suggestion and agreed – however that after they had been within the bed room Mr Salmond began to “drink fairly steadily” from a bottle of moutai alcoholic spirit that he had been given as a gift from China.

She claimed to have then felt “considerably uncomfortable” when Mr Salmond requested her to take her boots off, including: “Nevertheless it was a request from the primary minister, so I complied.”

Girl F stated it was late at evening and he or she had gathered her papers earlier than trying to stroll to the door.

She stated she felt “rising panic” when the primary minister informed her to “get on the mattress”, however that “this was very a lot inside a working surroundings and tradition the place you do regardless of the first minister asks of you”.

The witness stated she sat “primly” on the mattress and couldn’t bear in mind precisely what occurred within the first few seconds, however then “the primary minister was mendacity on prime of me, he put his palms beneath the skirt of my costume, ran them over my thighs and my backside and he was rubbing his palms over the bodice of my costume and over my breasts.

“He was kissing me round my face and costume, haphazardly like somebody who had been ingesting fairly closely, and was murmuring one thing like ‘you are irresistible’.”

Girl F stated she “completely didn’t” give Mr Salmond any invitation to do that, and had repeatedly been telling him that “this wasn’t a good suggestion” and that she wanted to depart.

She stated she had felt a “mixture of panic and disbelief that it might be occurring. I knew I needed to cease this, to get away, however how on earth to truly obtain that?

“It appeared very clear that he wasn’t going to cease until I might not directly convey issues to a cease. I felt he was going to proceed in the identical vein and there can be a development within the sense of attempting to take away a few of my garments or taking issues additional, pushing issues additional.

“I assumed he was going to attempt to take away my tights and my underwear and he can be pushing the encounter bodily additional.”

She stated Mr Salmond had both finally stopped or had shifted his weight. She managed to rise up from the mattress and “stated goodnight” to him.

‘Extraordinarily upset’

She stated she had been “extraordinarily upset” on her stroll residence, and texted or emailed a colleague to say “that is a night I will must neglect”.

The witness stated she subsequently met the colleague, who informed her it “might be a criminal offense” and suggested her to contact her line supervisor.

She stated this had led to one among Mr Salmond’s particular advisers talking to the primary minister and suggesting that he apologise to her.

Girl F claimed that, some days later, she had a gathering with Mr Salmond at his workplace within the Scottish Parliament throughout which “he informed me he was sorry for what had occurred, that it had been unacceptable, that he had been ingesting greater than normal – not simply that evening, however generally on account of stress.

“He stated he revered me and wished to maintain working collectively and apologised. I accepted the apology, confirmed we might preserve working collectively.

“I remained within the put up and didn’t expertise every other behaviour from the primary minister that I thought-about inappropriate in the remainder of my time in that…