Alex Salmond trial: SNP politician did not report alleged sexual assault because he was ‘everything’ to party During cross-examination, Shelagh McCall QC, for the defence, said Mr Salmond denied ever putting his hand on her knee

An SNP politician has told a court that Alex Salmond sexually assaulted her in the back of his Scottish Government car while her husband sat in the front seat.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she did not mention the alleged behaviour of the former First Minister to her husband or anyone else “because of who he was”.

She told the High Court in Edinburgh that Mr Salmond was “everything” to the SNP and she felt that rather than reporting what had happened she had to “put it to one side”.

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The witness, also known as Woman C, gave evidence from behind a screen on the third day of the former First Minister’s trial, which is expected to last for four weeks.

Celebration in 2011

She said she and her husband had been celebrating a political victory at a restaurant near Holyrood when Mr Salmond came in and joined them.

At around 11pm the couple were about to leave to get the last train home when Mr Salmond offered them a lift in his ministerial car, as the station was on his route back to his official residence.

The woman told the court that the then First Minister had suggested her husband sit in the front while he went in the back with her, and later placed his hand on her leg above the knee.

“It wasn’t a quick touch where maybe you’re chatting and a hand goes out and comes back. He put a hand there and it stayed there for pretty much the duration of the journey,” she said.

“It didn’t move but it stayed there just above my knee…I was just absolutely gobsmacked that it had happened and everything else in the car had carried on as normal.”

During cross-examination, Shelagh McCall QC, for the defence, said Mr Salmond denied ever putting his hand on her knee.

The woman replied: “I absolutely wish that was the case because then I would not have to be here today.”

‘Trivial’

Asked by Ms McCall why did not say anything about the alleged incident to her husband, either at the time or afterwards, she said it was due to Mr Salmond’s profile in the SNP.

“It is hard to explain to people just how well thought of he was in our party. He was everything,” she added.

“He was not just a leader, he had taken the party so far and my husband absolutely adored him.”

When Ms McCall suggested that she had not reported the incident because it was “trivial”, the woman said she had regarded it as “entirely inappropriate and wrong”.

She added: “I suppose when you look back at things you excuse a person because of who they are. You just put things to a side.

“I didn’t put it to one side because I thought it was nothing, it was because of who he was.”

Mr Salmond denies 14 alleged offences against 10 women, including one attempted rape, 11 sexual assaults and two indecent assaults.

The trial in front of Lady Dorrian continues on Thursday.