In court for day ten of the Alex Salmond trial - potentially the final day? Gordon Jackson to make his closing speech for the defence this morning, before Lady Dorrian will give directions to the jury and send them out
Apologies for lack of tweets, was noting down the speech - a thread now follows...
Gordon Jackson opens by quoting Alex Prentice’s opening about how Woman H had wished Alex Salmond was “a better man”. Defence QC says: “He certainly could have been a better man, but I’m concerned with whether he was guilty of serious, sometimes very serious, criminal charges”.
Gordon Jackson says the prosecution are right that there’s a pattern here - but not the one they want the jury to draw. It’s of things that had nothing thought of them at the time, that were not a big deal at the time, now becoming criminal charges in the High Court.
Gordon Jackson says the jury must be convinced beyond reasonable doubt - a very high standard of proof. ”there is only to be guilt in these matters not because someone could have been a better man, but because of that standard of proof.”
Gordon Jackson says the charge of sexual assault with intent to rape is “a hell of an allegation”. There may have been inappropriate behaviour, but when they are both fully clothed and they sit up and say goodnight afterward, how does this become intent to rape? “Don’t ask me.”
On the attempted rape charge, Gordon Jackson says defence have shown Woman H was not at the dinner that night. The pattern “does not fit”. He says there’s something in the “murky” world of politics here - “I can’t prove it but I can smell it, there’s something not right”.
Gordon Jackson runs through the other charges - he says none are “trivial”, but “these were incidents nobody thought twice about” at the time. “Every one I look at there are problems”.
Gordon Jackson says “this stinks, this absolutely stinks”. He says Woman A was “fiercely involved” in talking to other complainers. “There’s something that doesn’t smell right about the whole thing.”
Gordon Jackson says “this all comes out of the political bubble with no real independent support of any kind”. He closes telling the jury that he doesn’t care if they like Alex Salmond or not - he’s not above the law, but he’s not below it either. “This has gone far enough.”
Lady Dorrian is giving her directions to the jury now - explaining points of law etc. She tells them that “it’s your judgement that matters, it’s for you alone to decide what is or isn’t important”
Lady Dorrian has finished giving direction to the jury, but she’s sending them out to have lunch before she formally sends them out to consider their verdict
The jury in the Alex Salmond trial have now formally retired to consider their verdict.
The jury in the Alex Salmond trial have been sent home for the weekend. They will resume their deliberations on Monday.
