Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond appears in court to face attempted rape charges
Former Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond has appeared in court this morning to face 14 sexual assault charges against 10 women.
Among the charges read out in the preliminary hearing is an allegation that the former SNP leader tried to rape a woman at his official First Minister residence.
Read more: Alex Salmond charged with attempted rape and sexual assault
It is alleged Salmond, 64, pinned a woman against a wall at Bute House and laid on top of her naked and tried to rape her.
In addition to this, he also faces a charge of sexual assault with intent to rape, 10 charges of sexual assault and two charges of indecent assault.
Salmond strongly denies all the charges and his QC Gordon Jackson said his client will be pleading not guilty to all charges.
The preliminary took place at Edinburgh’s high court and the judge, Lady Dorrian, has set the trial date for 9 March next year.
The offences against Salmond are alleged to have happened between 2008 and 2014 – all while he was First Minister.
The incidents are alleged to have occurred in Bute House, the Scottish Parliament, Stirling Castle and Edinburgh’s Ego nightclub among other places.
On one occasion it is alleged the former SNP leader indecently assaulted a woman at Bute House in 2010 by grabbing her wrists and repeatedly pulling her toward him and trying to kiss her.
It is also alleged he sexually assaulted one woman several times between 2011 and 2013 at Bute House, Scottish Parliament and other places by touching her buttocks with his hands over her clothing, stroking her arms and touching her hair.
In 2013, it is alleged he tried to rape a woman by getting her to sit on his bed in Bute House and then proceeded to lie on top of her, make sexual remarks to her, touch her buttocks, thigh and breasts over her clothing and trying to pull up her dress.
Read more: Alex Salmond says he is ‘innocent of any criminality’ outside Edinburgh court
A police investigation began after a Scottish government inquiry into complaints of sexual assault against Salmond.
He claims he was treated unfairly by the government in the inquiry.
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