John Leslie goes on trial accused of sex assault

John Leslie
Image caption John Leslie arriving at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

The former television presenter John Leslie has gone on trial charged with sexually assaulting a woman during her hen night at an Edinburgh club.

The woman told Edinburgh Sheriff Court she was dancing with Mr Leslie at the Attik club in Tollcross, when he pulled her closer and put his hand down the back of her trousers.

John Leslie, appearing under his real name John Stott, denies the charge.

The 53-year-old is on trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The woman told the court that she had recognised Mr Leslie when she entered the nightclub in June last year, and had spoken to him during the night.

She said that while she had been dancing with friends and a stag party later in the evening, Mr Leslie had approached her and said "be careful, you're getting married".

'Pulled closer'

She thought he was being "protective" and suggested they dance together.

"We'd been going in circles then he pulled me closer," she said.

"I did feel uncomfortable but thought I was maybe reading too much into it."

Image caption The incident is alleged to have happened at the Atik nightclub in Edinburgh

She said she gave her friend "a look" to make her aware she was uncomfortable.

"After that I felt his hand go down my trousers at the back," she said.

"I didn't know how to react. I made even more of a look to my friend because I knew I needed to be out of that situation."

CCTV footage

The woman said a friend had pulled her away. She then danced briefly with her hen party to "pretend it hadn't happened", but got "really upset" so moved to a booth.

They told a female bouncer and then a police officer what had happened, and she was taken to a police station to make a statement.

The woman said it had impacted on her relationship with her husband, friends and work.

"It's been one of the toughest years of my life when it should have been the happiest," she added.

Defence lawyer Derek Ogg QC reviewed the CCTV footage with the woman.

He said: "We don't see a hand going under a tutu or trousers or coming out of trousers."

The trial continues.