Press corps’ views on Salmond verdict were a bit fishy – Steve Cardownie

On turning up at the court building on the High Street when it opened at 9am, I was successful in securing a ticket for that day’s proceedings and looked forward to seeing how the business was conducted on duly taking my place behind press seats.

As members of the public we were told to turn off our mobile phones by a police constable who obviously enjoyed this aspect of his job and which he embraced with some gusto, although no such instructions applied to members of the press who could be seen regularly consulting their screens in between taking notes of the evidence. The press corps took every opportunity to discuss the trial between themselves, which was to be expected, with some confusing themselves with jurors and expressing an opinion as to the outcome.

Two of their number decided to predict the verdict in the Gents, blissfully unaware that I (sitting in the vicinity) could hear every word (they obviously do not watch much TV drama) and somewhat gleefully forecast that the accused was for the high jump, no doubt about it. I recognised one of the voices and was surprised by his certainty that Alex Salmond was guilty as charged and wondered if he had been paying proper attention to the proceedings or if he had been too busy on his phone.

Monday’s verdict must have come as a surprise and will hopefully teach him a lesson – to set his prejudices aside in future and be more objective.