Alex Salmond appears in court to face trial on attempted rape and sexual assault charges
Scotland's former first minister is charged with 14 alleged offences against 10 women, all of which he denies.
Monday 9 March 2020 13:24, UK
Alex Salmond has appeared in court for the start of his trial on attempted rape and sexual assault charges.
Scotland's former first minister is charged with 14 alleged sexual offences against 10 women, all of which he denies.
The 65-year-old appeared in the dock at Edinburgh's High Court on Monday flanked by two security officers.
A panel of 15 jurors were selected and the charges were read to them.
Judge Lady Dorrian told the jurors that Salmond was a "well-known public figure" and stressed that they must come to their verdicts based on the evidence heard in the trial alone.
The panel were asked to consider a list of questions by the judge to ensure their impartiality in the case.
They included whether jurors personally knew Salmond or any of the alleged victims or had "any dealings… in a private or professional capacity" with them.
Jurors were also asked if they had any "private knowledge" about the case and if they have "any strong feelings of support or animosity" towards Salmond or his accusers.
Among the charges against Salmond, he is accused of attempting to rape a woman at Bute House, the official residence of Scotland's first minister, in June 2014 during the country's independence referendum campaign.
He is also accused of sexually assaulting a woman with intent to rape in December 2013.
Overall, he is accused of two indecent assaults and 10 sexual assaults, an attempted rape and a sexual assault with intent to rape.
The charges span from 29 June 2008 to 11 November 2014, with one sexual assault said to have taken place in the month of the Scottish independence referendum.
Salmond was Scotland's first minister from 2007 to 2014.
His trial is expected to last for four weeks.