Timeline: Sheridan trial week eight

  • Published

NOVEMBER 24-26

Former Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan, 46, is on trial accused of perjury.

His wife Gail, 46, also faced perjury charges which have now been dropped.

It is claimed Mr Sheridan lied in court so that he could successfully sue the News of the World in 2006.

The former MSP won £200,000 in damages after the newspaper printed allegations about his private life, claiming that he was an adulterer who had visited a swingers club.

Following a police investigation, Mr Sheridan was charged with perjury. He denies the allegations.

Here, is a summary of the eighth week of evidence.

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During week eight, the case was adjourned until the Wednesday.

DAY THIRTY-ONE (24 Nov)

A witness, Matthew McColl, told the court he lied to police when he told them Tommy Sheridan did not attend an alleged "sex party" at the Moat House Hotel on 14 June 2002.

The 50-year-old said he was angry at an early morning police visit to his Glasgow home and "had no compunction to tell them anything but my name".

But he told the court: "To my recollection Mr Sheridan was at the Moat House."

The court was adjourned when Mr McColl refused to answer a question about the identity of his girlfriend in June 2002.

Sheridan witness 'made omission'

DAY THIRTY-TWO (25 Nov)

Following cross-examination of Mr McColl by Gail Sheridan's QC Paul McBride, four charges against Mr Sheridan and his wife were dropped by the Crown.

The deleted allegations stated Mr Sheridan had lied at the 2006 defamation action when he said there had been "no event" at the Moat House Hotel on 14 June 2002, where he was alleged to have had sex with a woman called Beverley Dixon.

They also state he said Helen Allison and Anne Colvin lied in their evidence when they told the jury in 2006 that Mr Sheridan had been at the Moat House Hotel with his brother-in-law Andrew McFarlane.

The allegations removed against Gail Sheridan claimed she had lied when she told the court she had been with her husband during the whole evening on 14 June 2002.

The second deleted allegation was that she had also lied about visiting Andrew McFarlane with Mr Sheridan on 15 June 2002.

Charges dropped in Sheridan trial