Two women who have accused Alex Salmond of making unwanted sexual advances towards them have revealed they did not speak out at the time due to the former first minister’s power over the SNP and country.
The complainers Woman A – who is a senior official in the Scottish Government – and Woman C – who is an SNP politician – were giving evidence during the third day of the 65-year-old’s trial.
He denies 14 allegations from 10 women against him.
Woman C described Salmond placing his hand on the top of her knee during a journey in a government car in February, 2011, saying he meant “everything” to the SNP and was “more than the leader” at the time.
Meanwhile, Woman A accused the then first minister of giving her unwanted “sloppy” kisses on the lips and described his wandering hands during SNP engagements in Glasgow between June 29 and July 24, 2008.
During cross-examination, Mr Salmond’s defence team accused both women of trivialising the events at the time – arguing they had not reported them to the police because they did not consider them important.
Woman C told the court the then first minister encouraged her husband to sit in the front of the vehicle while the two of them got into the back seats after he offered to give them a short lift in a government car while he travelled from a Pizza Express near the Scottish Parliament to Bute House.
The woman said Salmond placed his hand on the top of her knee while conversations continued between everyone in the vehicle, saying it was not a fleeting “social touch” but a prolonged experience.
Advocate depute Alex Prentice asked: “Did you say anything to him?”
Woman C replied: “No, I was embarrassed. I didn’t know what to do. I would have just drawn attention to it. I hoped it would just go away and he would stop I suppose.”
However, defence counsel Shelagh McCall questioned why the woman only decided to report the incident following an approach from the police in November 2018.
She asked: “Had you put it aside as something not terribly important?”
Woman C replied: “I put it aside because it was someone who was the first minister and leader of my party. I put it aside because who on earth do you tell about that?”
She added: “I thought it was entirely inappropriate and wrong. I suppose when you look back at things you realise how much you excuse a person because of who they are.
“It’s hard to explain how much he meant to our party.”
Woman C also denied feeling “pressurised” to report the incident to authorities – explaining the only pressure she felt was from juggling her work, personal life and choosing whether to make a complaint.
Earlier in the day, Woman A had described Salmond greeting her almost daily when they met for engagements as if he would kiss her on the cheek, before instead kissing her on the lips.
The senior Scottish Government official also said the then first minister would on occasion put his hand on her back before moving it to her “chest” or “bum”.
She said she’d resorted to carrying bags to create a barrier between her and the politician.
Mr Prentice asked: “You say you didn’t know how to tell the first minister not to do that, but why not just say ‘First minister don’t do that’?”
Woman A replied: “I liked my job. I didn’t know him very well.
“He was the most powerful man in the country. I didn’t know what would happen if I said ‘no’ or ‘get off’.
“I had experienced some volatile mood swings and behaviour from him. It was always easier to just move away rather than risk agitating or antagonising him.”
Woman A, who describes herself as “humiliated” and “ashamed” about the incidents, also alleges Salmond ran his hands over her body at an event at the Ego nightclub in Edinburgh in December 2010 before making the comment: “You look good, you’ve lost weight.”
During cross-examination Gordon Jackson, who is leading Salmond’s defence team, argued the then first minister would regularly kiss members of the public during engagements.
Woman A said: “He would often give old grannies kisses on the cheek that would end up on the lips.
“I don’t remember him holding on to them by the shoulders like he did with me or the same grannies being involved on repeated occasions.”
Mr Jackson also questioned why other people had not responded at the time to the alleged sexual assault on the nightclub dancefloor.
He said: “If he had been acting sexually inappropriately, other people would have seen that. This was in a public place.”
Woman A replied: “They may have done or may not. You don’t look at somebody thinking they are going to grope her.”
Mr Jackson asked: “You are calling this groping?”
Woman A said: “Yes. He touched my breasts, chest and hips.”
Woman A also denied encouraging other people to make complaints about Salmond.
She said: “Some people asked me for advice, but in every case I said it was their decision to make.”
The trial continues.
