Alex Salmond trial: Woman says he tried to ‘recreate sexualised Jack Vettriano painting’ with her The former First Minister is accused of indecently assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons

Alex Salmond suggested he and a female civil servant recreate a “sexualised” painting by Jack Vettriano before grabbing her wrists and trying to kiss her, a court has heard.

The former First Minister is accused of indecently assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at his official residence of Bute House in 2010.

Giving evidence from behind a screen at the High Court in Edinburgh, the Scottish Government official told the jury that trying to fight off his advances was like “wrestling with an octopus”.

The i newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

The court heard how Mr Salmond had previously commissioned the Scottish artist Jack Vettriano to design the annual Christmas card sent out on behalf of he and his wife Moira.

‘Scantily clad’ woman

But the woman said that when the artist’s submission Ae Fond Kiss came back, she and other civil servants were surprised to see it featured a “scantily clad” female in a Santa outfit kissing a man.

Describing the painting as “too sexualised” to feature on a Christmas card, she said the issue was raised with Mr Salmond who agreed it was “not appropriate” and would have to change.

She then told the court that at the end of a routine meeting, when others had left the room, the former SNP leader had told her: “Come here, let’s recreate the pose on the Christmas card.”

She added: “He grabbed my wrists and pulled me towards him. I was just shocked.”

The witness, known only as Woman B, said Mr Salmond was “trying to kiss me” and that she had repeatedly tried to escape his grasp.

“It felt like every time I managed to get a hand off another hand would appear. He was very persistent. It felt like I was wrestling with an octopus,” she added.

‘Swept under the carpet’

The woman said she had broken free from Mr Salmond when they were interrupted by someone else entering the room and she had later mentioned it to her line manager.

Asked by Shelagh McCall QC, for Mr Salmond, why she had not taken the matter further at the time, she replied: “If I had complained I think it would have been swept under the carpet and I think I would have suffered.

“I never saw anyone in a senior position in the Scottish Government tackle the First Minister about his behaviour.”

In a separate development, one of the sexual assault charges against Mr Salmond was dropped after the Crown offered no evidence.

He denies 13 alleged offences against nine women, made up of one attempted rape, 10 sexual assaults – including one with intent to rape – and two indecent assaults.

The trial in front of Lady Dorrian continues on Tuesday with Mr Salmond’s defence, after the prosecution formally ended its case following six days of evidence.