Alex Salmond has today been acquitted of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults, including one with intent to rape.

The former Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond faced 13 charges including one of attempted rape, one of intent to rape, nine charges of sexual assault and two of indecent assault.

The ex-SNP leader, 65, was cleared of all charges by a jury following an 11-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on 12 charges and returned a not proven verdict on a charge of sexual assault with intent to rape.

The former first minister was charged with indecently assaulting Woman A, a senior government official, in 2008.

The arrest of former Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond (pictured outsider court today), saw him face 13 charges including one of attempted rape, one of intent to rape, nine charges of sexual assault and two of indecent assault

On occasions in June and July 2008 in Glasgow, he was accused of indecently assaulting her by kissing her on the mouth and touching her buttocks and breast over her clothing; and sexually assaulting her in either December 2010 or December 2011 in Ego nightclub in Edinburgh, by touching her arms and hips over her clothing.

He was charged with indecently assaulting Woman B at Bute House, the Scottish First Minister's official residence, in October or November 2010.

She had accused him of repeatedly seizing her by the wrists, pulling her towards him and trying to kiss her.

Woman C accused him of assaulting her in a car in Edinburgh during February 2011 by touching her leg with his hand over her clothing, but said that was 'impossible' with others in the car who would have seen the incident take place.

Alex Salmond spoke to reporters outside the High Court in Edinburgh today after he was cleared of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults

Prosecutors charged him with sexually assaulting Woman D on a number of occasions between 2011 and 2013 at various locations, including Bute House and the Scottish Parliament building.

Between May 2011 and June 2013, he was alleged to have sexually assaulted her by touching her buttocks over her clothing and stroking her arms and hair.

Woman F claimed he assaulted her at Bute House in December 2013 and sexually assaulting her in either November or December 2013.

He was accused of making her sit on a bed, lying on top of her, struggling with her and pulling up her dress with intent to rape her.

Woman G - a Scottish Government official said he twice assaulted her - once in Glasgow during 2012 and secondly in Bute House in April 2014.

She accused him of smacking her buttocks at a Glasgow restaurant in March 2012. Salmond said: 'It didn't happen.'

Meanwehile Woman H said in 2014 Salmond sexually assaulted her attempting to rape her the same year.

In June of that year at Bute House, he had been alleged to have sexually assaulted Woman H by removing his clothing and underwear, pushing her onto a bed, kneeling over her, pinning her to the bed, lying naked on top of her and then trying to rape her.

The former SNP chief was charged with sexually assaulting Woman J - a party worker - in Bute House in September 2014.

Kirk Torrance, 38, then the SNP's new media strategist and now a technology consultant, told the court he'd seen Woman J at an SNP office the day after the alleged sexual assault.

Asked if she ‘seemed upset, Torrance told the court that Woman J seemed ‘quite the opposite actually’ and appeared to be in good spirits.

The ninth alleged victim - Woman K - said he assaulted her at Stirling Castle in November 2014, by touching her buttock with his hand over her clothing, while they had a photo taken together at the event.

The former first minister of Scotland bumped elbows with a lawyer as he left the court today

Defence witness Alexander Anderson, 41, said he was at the event where Woman K had a photo taken with Salmond.

Asked by Salmond’s defence team if he saw anything ‘untoward’ Anderson, who worked for Salmond for 15 years and served as a special adviser to him, replied: ‘No, I didn't.’

Mr Salmond was cleared of all charges.

In an emotional speech on the steps outside court, he thanked his friends and family for standing by him while referencing the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: 'Whatever nightmare I've been in over these last two years is nothing compared to the nightmare that every single one of us is currently living through.

'My strong, strong advice is to go home, those who can and are able to, care take of your families; and God help us all.'

Speaking outside court after the verdict, Salmond thanked the courts, police and his legal time.

He also thanked friends and family, 'for standing by me over the last two years.'

He added: 'As many of you will know there was certain evidence that I would like to have seen led in this trial but for a variety of reasons we were not able to do so.

'At some point that information, that facts, and that evidence will see the light of day but it won't be this day, and it won't be this day for a very good reason.

'And that is whatever nightmare I've been in over these last two years is as of nothing compared to the nightmare that every single one of us is currently living through.

'People are dying, many more are going to die. What we are doing now, and I know you've got a job to do, is not safe.

'My strong, strong advice is to go home, those who can and are able to, care take of your families and god help us all.'

TIMELINE: The two-year battle of the figurehead of Scotland's independence movement as he fought to clear his name Alex Salmond has been acquitted of attempted rape and a series of sexual assaults, including one with intent to rape. The former first minister of Scotland was cleared of all charges by a jury following an 11-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. Here is a timeline of events leading to the verdict. January 2018: The Scottish Government receives two complaints of harassment involving Alex Salmond, dating back to 2013, and launches an inquiry. March 2018: The former first minister is informed about the investigation against him. August 23 2018: The Daily Record publishes news of allegations made to the Scottish Government against Mr Salmond via a tweet. The former first minister denies claims of harassment and launches a court action against the Scottish Government to contest the complaints process that was activated against him. August 24 2018: Nicola Sturgeon posts a statement on Twitter saying she has been aware for 'some time' of the investigation into Mr Salmond and has no role in the process. She says: 'My relationship with Alex Salmond obviously makes this an extremely difficult situation for me to come to terms with.' Police Scotland confirm allegations have been passed to the force. Mr Salmond strenuously denies sexual harassment complaints made against him during his time as Scotland's first minister, saying he has 'never engaged in criminality'. August 26 2018: Ms Sturgeon says there is 'no legal basis' to suspend Mr Salmond from the SNP, following calls for the move from opposition parties. She says her party has not received any complaints about her predecessor's conduct - nor has it carried out the investigation. August 27 2018: Mr Salmond writes to Scotland's top civil servant, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, calling for an inquiry into how sexual harassment allegations against him were made public. August 28 2018: Mr Salmond formally begins his legal action against the Scottish Government by lodging his petition for a judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. August 29 2018: The former first minister announces he has resigned his membership of the SNP to avoid divisions in the party. He launches a crowdfunding campaign to help with his costs in the legal action and the £50,000 target is smashed within hours. January 8 2019: Judge Lord Pentland rules at the Court of Session that the Scottish Government's actions were 'unlawful in respect that they were procedurally unfair and they were tainted with apparent bias'. Ms Sturgeon supports the decision of Ms Evans to settle the case after a failure to properly apply the complaints procedure. Mr Salmond calls on Scotland's top civil servant to quit her post after accusing her of 'wasting' hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money. January 15 2019: The Scottish Parliament announces it will mount its own investigation into the fallout from allegations against the former first minister. January 24 2019: Police Scotland confirms it has arrested and charged Mr Salmond. He appears at Edinburgh Sheriff Court facing allegations of sexual assault, including attempted rape. The former first minister gives a statement saying he 'refutes' the criminal allegations and plans to defend himself 'to the utmost' in court. January 31 2019: An investigation into whether Ms Sturgeon breached the ministerial code during discussions with Mr Salmond is put on hold until the conclusion of the court case against him. February 6 2019: MSPs vote to establish a Holyrood committee to investigate the Scottish Government's handling of complaints against Mr Salmond, later agreeing to put its work on hold until the conclusion of the court case. November 21 2019: Mr Salmond first appears at the High Court in Edinburgh and pleads not guilty to the charges against him. March 9 2020: The trial starts at the High Court in Edinburgh. March 23 2020: The jury returns not guilty verdicts on 12 charges, including attempted rape, and a not proven verdict on a charge of sexual assault with intent to rape. Advertisement

How one of Scotland's most senior politicians was put on trial to prove he was an innocent man cruelly framed

By John Dingwall

It was the shocking case that put one of Scotland's most senior politicians in the dock with a jury being asked to decide whether he was either an evil sexual predator or an innocent man cruelly framed.

The arrest of former Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond saw him face 13 charges including one of attempted rape, one of intent to rape, nine charges of sexual assault and two of indecent assault.

Insisting on his innocence from the beginning and throughout the trial, he instructed his top level legal team, the leader of the Scottish bar, Gordon Jackson QC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, and Shelagh McCall QC, to represent his case at the High Court case in Edinburgh.

He had strongly denied all charges alleged to have been committed against nine women over a six-year period.

Earlier in the trial, he was acquitted of a 10th sexual assault allegation after that charge was withdrawn by the prosecution.

At one stage during proceedings, Salmond dramatically took to the stand and said the charges were fabrications and exaggerations and in some cases had been orchestrated for political reasons.

Among some of the more lurid allegations was one by a former Scottish Government official, Woman H, who told the court of an alleged attempted rape in June 2014.

She said she felt 'hunted' by Salmond moments before the alleged incident at the first minister's official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh.

She also told the court she had been sexually assaulted by him in May 2014 when he allegedly kissed her face, neck and touched her legs.

But Salmond denied the incidents took place during those months.

Mr Salmond was seen at an earlier hearing with his wife Moira Salmond who was by his side

He said there had, however, been a consensual sexual encounter the previous year.

He added: 'Neither party were naked but in a state of partial undress, in terms of buttons or whatever.

'It shouldn't have happened but both of us agreed it would be put behind us.'

Salmond, who described himself to the court as a 'journalist' and 'retired politician', added: 'It was just two old friends and things had gone too far.

'Both of us realised it wasn't a good idea and we parted good friends.'

He said Woman H was 'one of my biggest cheerleaders' but seemed 'annoyed' after he did not help her professionally in 2015.

He said her account of an alleged attempted rape was 'not true' and she was not at Bute House on the night in question.

A businesswoman also cast doubt on the allegation when she said she did not recall seeing a complainer on the evening the alleged assault was said to have taken place.

Woman H, had said the incident, at Bute House, had followed a dinner.

The defence witness, a company director, said she was at the dinner with Mr Salmond and another guest.

Asked if Woman H had been there, the businesswoman said she did not recall seeing Woman H 'at any point' during that evening.

A Scottish celebrity supporter of Scottish independence, however, said by video link that the woman who accused Alex Salmond of attempted rape was present on the night she alleged the attack took place.

A former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh also testified that Woman H had texted her to say it would 'be great' to work with Mr Salmond again in 2015.

She said Woman H was later 'clearly very annoyed' that her project had not been endorsed by Mr Salmond.

Ms Ahmed-Sheikh also said she had been at Stirling Castle in November 2014 and had watched Mr Salmond having his photograph taken with a former civil servant known as Woman K, but had not seen anything untoward.

The former first minister was alleged to have put his hand on the bottom of Woman K while the photograph was being taken.

During the trial, a civil servant also told how Alex Salmond asked her to recreate a Jack Vettriano painting, featuring a woman wearing a skimpy Santa outfit kissing a man.

She said that moments later he began 'wrestling' with her 'like an octopus'.

The woman, known as Woman B, testified that Salmond sexually assaulted her after a meeting at Bute House, in Edinburgh, in 2010.

Mr Salmond had just been advised not to send out a painting by the Scottish artist – called Ae Fond Kiss – as his Christmas card because it would be 'deeply inappropriate'.

Woman B said that, once they were alone, Mr Salmond said to her: 'Let's recreate the pose on the Christmas card.'

She said: 'He grabbed my wrists and pulled me towards him. I was shocked.

'He was very persistent. It felt like I was sort of wrestling with an octopus; there was always another hand coming at my wrists.'

Salmond had told jurors he had never had a non-consensual relationship with a woman in his life as he was questioned about another allegation that he assaulted a woman in his bedroom at Bute House in late 2013.

He said he and a Scottish Government official, known as Woman F, had 'collapsed into what I would describe as a sleepy cuddle' on a bed after they drank the Chinese spirit Maotai together.

Salmond claimed he said sorry two weeks later when the issue was raised by one of his staff, saying she had a 'legitimate grievance, even if it wasn't what actually happened and not what was presented at the time'.

Salmond said: 'I apologised. I was the first minister. She was in my bedroom. We were tipsy, it shouldn't have happened.'

Salmond also insisted during the trial that some of the accusations against him have been 'deliberate fabrications for a political purpose'.

He told jurors that one of his accusers had encouraged at least five other people to exaggerate or make claims against him.

The senior Scottish Government official, known as Woman A, said he sexually assaulted her in Glasgow between June and July 2008.

But Salmond told the jury: 'I would never, under any circumstances, be touching (the complainer) inappropriately.

'These are all public places. It would be insane to do anything like that. These claims are a fabrication.'

Mr Salmond's lawyer, Gordon Jackson, QC., had argued there was not enough evidence to prove Salmond guilty.

In his closing speech to the trial on Friday of last week, he said the allegations against his client didn't 'make sense' when examined closely.

He added that the Crown had not proven that the former SNP leader was guilty of any criminal offences during the two-week trial.

'If in some ways the former first minister had been a better man, I wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be here, none of us would be here,' he said.

'I'm not here to suggest he always behaved well or couldn't have been a better man on occasions. That would be a waste of my time.

'But I'm in a court of law and I'm dealing not with whether he could have been a better man, because he certainly could have been better.

'I'm dealing with whether or not it was established he was guilty of serious, sometimes very serious, criminal charges.'

Mr Jackson went on to say there was a 'pattern' in the case where 'something that was thought nothing of at the time' later become a criminal charge at the High Court.

He told the jury that it required a 'very, very high standard of proof' to find Mr Salmond guilty, and insisted allegations against his client 'don't make sense and are never going to make sense' when they are examined closely.

But prosecutor Alex Prentice QC painted Mr Salmond as a 'sexual predator' who had used his position and power to 'satisfy his sexual desires with impunity'.

Trial judge Lady Dorrian had told the jury they must set aside 'emotional considerations, sympathies or indeed prejudices' before asking them to retire to consider their verdicts on Friday.

She reminded the jury that there were three verdicts available to them, guilty, not guilty or not proven, according to Scottish law, the latter two being verdicts of acquittal.

But there was further drama when two jurors were discharged before a verdict was reached, with the remaining 13 told they still required a majority of eight to reach a guilty verdict.