Day six of the Alex Salmond trial at the High Court in Edinburgh 
First witness today is Woman B - Alex Salmond is accused of indecently assaulting her
Woman B was a civil servant in the Scottish government. Court discussing the creation of Alex Salmond’s official Christmas card - Woman B says she didn’t think one year’s design by Jack Vettriano was appropriate as it featured a man and a “quite scantily clad” woman kissing
Woman B says Alex Salmond agreed to change the card, but after discussing it he wanted to “recreate the pose” on the card and grabbed her wrists and tried to kiss her. She says she was trying to get away but it was like “wrestling with an octopus”
Woman B says “it felt like it went on forever”, but it was probably only seconds or a minute - she says someone came into the room and Alex Salmond stopped, and she left. She says she spoke to her line manager but she didn’t feel there was a option to “take things further”
Woman B says “the relationship which existed between the civil service and the first minister, if I had complained formally I would have been the problem and I would have been removed - and I had worked really hard”.
In cross examination, Shelagh McCall asks if Alex Salmond and Woman B otherwise had a “reasonably respectful” relationship, and he respected her work and professionalism; she says yes.
Shelagh McCall asks if Alex Salmond was in a “playful” mood; she says “I think even if he was in a light hearted mood there was always an underlying tone of - you would never relax in his company.”
Shelagh McCall asks Woman B why she didn’t complain at the time; she says “if I had complained it would have been swept under the carpet and I would have suffered in my career....I never saw anyone in a senior position in the Scottish government tackle the FM on his behaviour”.
Next witness is a colleague of Woman B, who says she told her about the alleged incident the following day. In cross examination witness tells Shelagh McCall she thought Alex Salmond was in a “cheerful and playful” mood
Next witness is a civil servant, who worked with Woman F - he says he met with her at time of alleged incident and she was “unusually upset” and “very nervous” - he says she told him Alex Salmond had encouraged her to sit on his bed. He says she seemed “traumatised
Witness tells the court that after incidents involving Woman F and Woman G “we changed the rota meaning that no female [civil servant] would be alone in Bute House”. He doesn’t know if it was ever written down but would have been reflected in rotas
Another civil servant tells the court this was “more an operational response than an official policy”, but efforts were made in civil service to either “double up” or “avoid single female contact with Mr Salmond after certain points of the evening”.
Jumping back one witness - that last witness also said he would not have trusted the civil service procedures in place at the time to be able to handle sensitive issues; and he said stress of the job caused some mental health issues and others to stop working with the FM
After a third civil servant gives evidence about this “operational” procedure, court takes a quick break - Crown will be closing its case shortly. Expect court will then adjourn until tomorrow, when defence begins
Crown has withdrawn charge six (a charge of sexual assault on Woman E, who has not given evidence). Alex Salmond stands and is formally acquitted of this charge. Some tweaks made to other charges, and the Crown closes its case.
So Alex Salmond now faces 13 charges of sexual assault against nine women - his defence begins tomorrow morning.
