I don't understand why the women falsified allegations if they were in the same room as another woman. Surely they would be likely to be exposed? I think Salmond took his chance when they were away from prying eyes for a moment or two.
At a pre-trial hearing, Salmond's lawyer Gordon Jackson QC told Lady Dorrian there had been text messages between complainants, government officials and SNP members, which he believed represented "a concerted effort made by people in the government to influence the process, to get it as best they could in terms of criminal prosecution". These text messages were ultimately not introduced as evidence and did not become public knowledge until 2026.[27]
The first witness was "Woman H", who gave an account of how Salmond allegedly tried to rape her in Bute House after a private dinner in June 2014. She had not mentioned this incident when she first talked to police in 2018, and the defence suggested that she fabricated the allegations, which the witness rejected.[31][32] Another witness, Samantha Barber, who was present at the dinner, gave later evidence stating that "Woman H" was not even present at Bute House on the night in question.[33]