Monday afternoon Carolyn Leckie/Catriona Grant (Updated)

The first witness this afternoon was another recalled witness, Carolyn Leckie, an SSP MSP from 2003 to 2007. I do not have a full note of her evidence or that of Catriona Grant as I was asked by the police, as were other people, not to take notes until we had spoken to the clerk of the court. I did this after the case ended for the day and the situation has been resolved however I do not have a note of the session.


Thankfully there is an excellent BBC report Here (thanks to Stephen for the link)   and regular commentator Whatsy has kindly sent her recollection.


"The following accounts of witnesses Carolyn Leckie and Catriona Grant's testimony has been done from memory, as the public gallery were prevented from using notes at this time. Where quotes are used, I feel they are very close to what was said, but with the lack of written notes, they may not be fully accurate.

Carolyn Leckie – during this testimony, CL was warned twice by Bracadale to limit herself to answering the question, and also chided by TS for asking her own questions when she should be answering his.

Witness recalled by Advocate Depute on behalf of Tommy Sheridan. AdDep declined to examine witness.

TS opened by questioning the witness about how she felt about TS's leadership in the SSP in 2004, suggesting that she thought he was getting too much attention. The witness denied this.

TS then asked Leckie to recall who was the press officer of the SSP in 2004. The witness answered, to which TS asked her if she would like to guess again, then gave her the answer of Hugh Kerr. "Ah, how could I forget Hugh?".

TS: "You didn't like Hugh Kerr, did you?"

I wouldn't say I didn't like him, but there were some things he did that I didn't like regarding his inappropriate behaviour towards women.

I spoke to you about Hugh's inappropriate behaviour, as you will remember.

TS: You thought he was too close to me, didn't you?

CL: Nonsense - if I thought you were close, why would I come to you about Hugh?

Discussion about the video tape made by George McNeilage for NotW.

TS suggests that Leckie and particularly her partner Alan McCombes had helped McNeilage write the script for the tape, and that they had received payment from McNeilage during a particular visit he made to McCombes's flat. CL denies this with comments of "utter nonsense" and "ridiculous", and points out that both she and McNeilage live in a style inconsistent with having lots of money, and offers to show the court her bank statements to prove there have been no large deposits.

TS: Did you watch the tape?

CL: I watched some of it, but I didn't watch it all. There was only so much I could take of you referring to me as "that cunt Leckie".

TS starts to question CL on how she felt about him winning the original case against News International/NotW and also him being elected as party co-chair in 2006. She said she had disagreed with the verdict but had expected his election to that post.

Advocate Depute Alex Prentice objected to TS framing a question regarding his election to a post in the SSP as evidence of the SSP membership believing his account of the various events in question, and Lord Bracadale agreed, directing TS not to impute from his election what party members believed. TS began to ask the question again in a similar style and was immediately interrupted by Bracadale "Mr Sheridan! I have just directed you!" to which TS hastily reworded the question more successfully.

Catriona Grant

Witness recalled by Advocate Depute on behalf of Tommy Sheridan. AdDep declined to examine witness.

TS opened his questioning by asking CG “You don't like me, do you?”, to which CG agreed at some length.

There followed a discussion on CG's membership of the “United Left” and/or “Anti-Tommy” SSP faction, and some assertions from Grant that much of the pro/anti Tommy divisions were down to gender.