Thread by @jamesdoleman

Back in court for the afternoon session of the Alex #SalmondTrial trial where we expect more evidence from the first Crown witness, who for legal reasons we are calling "Witness H."

(For those who are unaware, the jury and we are told the identity of the witness, so they are not "anonymous" in any sense, it's just that the name of alleged victim of a sexual crime is never allowed to be published)

Court rises as the presiding judge, Lady Dorrian enters and proceedings resume.
#Salmond

"Witness H" resumes her evidence in chief, is being questioned by Advocate Depute Alec Prentice QC.
He asks if she recalls the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, she says she does.

Asked if she has seen the band "Metallica" in concert, she replies "once" just before the referendum.
#Salmond

Witness tells the court that she had been a regular visitor to Bute House (the residence of the Scottish First Minister) agrees a number of dinners were held there in the run-up to the 2014 referendum to gain support for the Yes side
#Salmond

Says that in her role she was involved in setting these dinners up, and due to Salmond's role as First Minister they were held in the evening.
Asked is enjoyed these evenings she says "it was work," sometimes enjoyable sometimes stressful

Witness tells court about an occasion that "upset her," in May 2014.
Says she was in a study with Alex Salmond "and he touched me."

Advocate Depute now showing a plan of Bute House to identify the room where the witness was.
#Salmond

Room, she agrees, was a small study just off the main "drawing room."
Asked if these were private, she replies "ish."

Witness H tells the court she went to the room to retrieve some items she had left there, [isn't sure of the exact date]
#Salmond

Witness says she was in the room with the former First Minister, who she says was "half-cut," after a dinner and had asked her to stay for a drink from a bottle of red wine he had.

Says this wasn't unusual as the first minister was a "bit of a night owl," and would often stay up to eth early hours of the morning.
The jury now being shown a picture of the room.

Says Salmond also had a "clear white Chinese spirit," and asked her to "do shots," which made her feel uncomfortable, "it felt awkward." she adds, but she did take some of the drink.

Witness: "He [Salmond] was in a good mood which was something to be celebrated, which wasn't always the case."
Says she was sitting at the end of a sofa.

Witness tells the court Salmond then sat on the floor and invited her to join him, "he then proceeded to touch me..inappropriately, " she adds.
"He was putting his hand inside my top..touching my legs."

Says she was wearing a skirt which made her "feel extra awkward" about the situation.
"He was just groping me basically, I can't think of another word for it."
#Salmond

The witness is asked if she agreed to any of this? replies "I was wasn't asked, no."
"I just remember, was like a froze inside, I said, "what are you doing, you're my boss, you shouldn't be doing this, he found it funny, like it was a challenge."

"I asked him to stop, I just wish that looking back I just got up, or decked him one, but it was like I was paralysed."

Witness says she told Salmond "I need to get out of here, you're drunk I'm going home," adds "I got out of dodge, picked up my stuff and went home.

Says that after leaving she was in "shock." Adds about the former First Minister "His behaviour, his mood could vary quite rapidly."
Says she was embarrassed, "I didn't want anyone to know this had happened, I didn't want to be another one of his women."

Asked if she reported what happened, witness says "no," I just hoped it was a one-off." Says she eh told no-one adding "I wish I had.

Crown asks if there was "another incident," the witness says yes.
Says it was after a "work event" also at Bute House.

Says the event was after a dinner involving Scottish actor Ken Stott who had just backed the Yes campiagn.

Says Stott left and she was left alone with Alex Salmond, can't recall the time but says she remembers it was dark outside.

Witness tells the court she was sat on a sofa when Salmond took off his tie was pacing and talking.

Asked if alcohol was consumed she replies "I can't think of an occasion when it wasn't"

Says she told Salmond she had a new boyfriend, and told him she didn't want what had happened before to happen again, "he thought it was funny," she says.

Witness H says she was sitting on a sofa when the accused's "behaviour changed, also like he was buoyed onto action on it, like it was a challenge. "
"He sat on the sofa and pulled my legs up over his"

[Witness asks for some water before going on]

Says she felt "internal panic" due to the previous incident, "I felt frozen, but I thought I could talk him about of it, like I had before"

Witness says she said "don't be daft," when the accused was trying to kiss her face and neck, "I tried to stop him," adds, "I thought I could talk my way out of it like I had before, but I wasn't managing it, he was just making banter of it "

The witness says she then got up and tried to edge out towards the door, "I started to feel like I was getting chased,"
"I tried to get out of the main door...he put his arm out and leaned over me, he's quite a big guy."

Witness says that Salmond stopped her from leaving, and she felt "there had been a change of tempo, he was titillated by the situation, he wanted me to be ok with him teaching me,"

*touching*

Witness "I was against the wall moving my head out of the way to avoid him kissing my neck, it was like wrestling."
"At this point, I started to feel scared,"

"I felt like Ali v Foreman, he wouldn't stop, I was trying to talk him out of it, saying 'I need to go home, this isn't happening.'"

Says she got away and went upstairs to get her property, "he followed me up."
Asked if she wanted him to do that, she replies "no."

Witness tells the court that the former First minister blocked her from leaving "he kept asking me to stay over," and "started to become more assertive in his sexual advances,"

Witness "I was just thinking I need to call for help, I was so humiliated and scared.I was blocked against the door, I couldn't do anything, I wish in hindsight I'd just screamed or kicked him in the nuts, but I was frozen."

Says she then told the accused she would stay over but in a different room, "I didn't want to make him angry, and she made it to a different room, "but he came in."

"I told him to go to his bed, and he said 'fine,' so I thought I was making progress, "he had changed his tone, he had calmed down."

Witness says the accused had a bottle of red wine and asked her to have a drink, "I thought he was sorry and realised he had gone too far."

"He talked to me for a second..then he just physically all over me, kissing me, taking my clothes off me, it all happened really fast, really fast."

Witness: "I remember the feeling of trying to keep them [clothes] on me...I was telling him to stop the whole time, he was taking his clothes off."

"He pushed me towards the bed, I'd basically fallen backwards," she says she had been in a bicycle recent accident and had a splint on her arm, "I was operating with one hand."

Witness says by this point Salmond was "standing over me, then he climbed onto the bed."
Sayd he was "aroused by this point."

Witness "He lay over me, with an arm over me," says "I kept saying, what are you doing, stop, but he didn't, I tried to push him away."

Witness "I felt like I was being hunted...I managed one final push to get him on the other side of the bed, he kept on saying to me "come on," I kept saying "no, no you're drunk."

Witness "He was muttering that I was being stupid, he then passed out and started snoring."

Asked if she consented she says "I did not want this to happen, I didn't want to be humiliated at work, why would I want to go out with him, he was an older man who didn't look after himself, I wasn't attracted to him, why would I be."

Says she found a bathroom and locked the door, "I just lay there thinking, stay quiet he won't hear you." Says she was in shock "I just wanted to get out the back door with no-one seeing me."
Says she left around 7 am

Witness says "I just wanted it not to have happened, I didn't write a press release, I didn't want anyone to know, he had other women and I didn't want to be considered as that."

Advocate Depute takes not of the time, court adjourns until 10am tomorrow morning.

*note*