[0762]

Jim I don't doubt the behavioural side of it was highly questionable! Indeed, I briefly debated it with my wife at the time (getting a female perspective on the issue), and came to the same conclusion that Ecky appeared to be a "bit of a lad" who wasn't challenged because of his powerful position as Scot FM. But this issue actually "landing in a law court" and open to public scrutiny??? What a failure that was!!! Lastly, I'd love to reverse the roles and force the same endurance on many of the critics of Ecky so that they could experience, first hand, that same element of non-anonymity and subsequent public scrutiny, esp if you were personally innocent and did absolutely nothing - imagine it (you would be seething!!!) and the current system that is practised in this country eh!! While we are at it, give the likes of Cliff Richard a phone call and ask him how he felt in being exposed in such a way and being totally innocent of any criminal charges!! Lastly, I think Alex Salmond's forthcoming book publication will be extremely interesting and it will be curious to read if he "gives his side of the story" re some of the insinuations and his behaviour that has been deemed as unacceptable "in the court of public opinion". He consistently used the words "gross exaggeration". Maybe he'll elaborate on that in the book. However, I suspect this book will cover much more than this court case and I reckon a lotta people, incl some reputable people in Scotland, could well be "diving for cover" well before it is eventually published. Perhaps there is a "bigger story" gonna unfold later on this year.