Alex Salmond acquitted of all sexual assault charges
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond has been acquitted of all charges in his sexual assault trial.
Salmond was facing a combined 13 charges of sexual assault and attempted rape against nine different women.
The jury at the Scottish High Court in Edinburgh found him not guilty of all charges this afternoon, leaving him to walk free.
It came after two jurors were discharged today by Judge Lady Dorrian for “various reasons”, reducing the jury from 15 to 13 people.
Speaking to media outside the court this afternoon, Salmond said his faith in the Scottish justice system “has been much reinforced today”.
“I’d like to thank my friends and family for standing by me over the last two years,” he said.
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“I’d like to thank my brilliant legal team, who are absolutely exceptional and I’d like to thank all of the people who have sent so many messages over the last 18 months or so, particularly in recent days.”
Salmond also spoke about evidence that was not admitted in the trial “for various reasons”.
The evidence he is referring to is information that allegedly shows that high-ranking members of the SNP were conspiring to bring false charges against him.
The evidence was not allowed to be heard by the court.
“There is certain evidence that I would have liked to see in this trial, but for a variety of reasons we weren’t able to do so,” he said.
“At some point that information, those facts 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.
“Whatever nightmare I’ve been in the last two years it is nothing compared to the nightmare every single one of us is currently living through. people are dying, many more are going to die.”
Most of the allegations against the former Scottish National Party (SNP) leader spanned between 2008 and 2014, when he was Scottish first minister.
Some of the allegations were claimed to have taken place in the Scottish first minister’s residence – Bute House.