ALEX Salmond is a sexual predator who abused his power to satisfy his desires with impunity, a prosecutor has told a court.

Alex Prentice QC said the former first minister's conduct was "intimidating, humiliating, degrading and created an offensive environment".

He said: "I suggest there is a common theme here, which is that of a sexual predator of escalating gravity."

He made the comments while summing up the prosecution's case on the ninth day of Mr Salmond's trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Mr Salmond faces multiple accusations of sexual assault, including an attempted rape, spanning a period between June 2008 and November 2014 and involving nine women. He denies all the allegations.

He previously told the court some of the claims are exaggerated and some are "deliberate fabrications for a political purpose".

He said he has never had "non-consensual sexual relations with anyone”.

Mr Prentice invited the jury to convict the former first minister of all of the charges against him, and urged them to look at the evidence as a whole and not in isolation.

He said the case is not about plots or political conspiracies, adding: "It's about a powerful man who abuses his power to satisfy his sexual desires with impunity.

"That it's hard to complain when you rely upon your abuser for opportunities and career development and when you are fully aware of an abuser's reach and control."

He said "courageous, brave women" had spoken out, and said a pattern had emerged during the trial.

Mr Prentice said: "Although the charges are separated on the indictment, I suggest that they bind together to form a cohesive, compelling and convincing course of conduct."

He said "much has been made" of Mr Salmond being a tactile person, adding: "I'm not entirely sure what that is meant to mean, but on any view it is not a licence to grope women."

He pointed to evidence showing some of the women had raised complaints at the time, or had told others.

He said the jury had also heard from three civil servants who said rotas were changed at Bute House to prevent female colleagues from working alone with Mr Salmond in the evenings.

Elsewhere, Mr Prentice said the evidence showed a pattern of "brazen conduct", adding: "He did it because he could."

He said the jury had the advantage of "seeing the bigger picture in this case".

Mr Prentice said the defence had suggested one of the complainers, Woman H, had made allegations as part of "some kind of conspiracy" to stop Mr Salmond returning to politics.

He said the former first minister himself said he had not intended to return.

The lawyer said: "What would the purpose be of this conspiracy? Who was to gain by it?"

He said the complainers were a mix of party workers and civil servants.

Mr Prentice said the women felt they could not speak out and expose what had been taking place.

He said: "Ladies and gentlemen, they felt they had nobody to turn to for an effective remedy. Well, they do now. I invite you, ladies and gentlemen, to convict Alexander Salmond of the charges against him."

Mr Salmond's defence team will sum up their case this morning.

His lawyers previously lodged special defences of consent and alibi.

Consent was given as a defence for three alleged sexual assaults and an alleged indecent assault against three women.

Mr Salmond was accompanied by his wife Moira, 82, as he entered the High Court yesterday morning.

Earlier, his former policy chief told the court he was concerned for a colleague's welfare after she was left alone with the former first minister.

Alex Bell, a former special adviser to Mr Salmond, said he returned to a room in Bute House to check the woman was okay.

Mr Salmond is accused of assaulting a female civil servant, who cannot be named for legal reasons and is known as Woman B, by grabbing her wrists and attempting to kiss her in a bid to recreate an “inappropriate” Christmas card scene.

She previously said fending off the alleged assault, which is said to have occurred in late 2010, was “like wrestling with an octopus”.

Mr Bell, 54, said he was in Bute House on the night the incident is said to have happened.

He had made his way downstairs when two colleagues pointed out he had left Woman B alone with Mr Salmond.

Mr Prentice asked if this was a concern. Mr Bell said: "Yes, it was."

Mr Prentice later asked if Mr Bell felt it was necessary to return to the room.

Mr Bell said he did, "to ensure that the welfare of my colleague was okay".

He said he took the lift to the first floor of Bute House and then cleared his throat "or made a noise" before going into the room where Mr Salmond was alone with the civil servant.

Asked if he saw anything that concerned him, he said: "I don't recall that."

Elsewhere, Detective Chief Superintendent Lesley Boal told the court 386 people gave statements to the police during the "thorough" investigation into Mr Salmond.

Aileen Easton, head of news at the Scottish Government and a former head of communications for Mr Salmond's office, told the court he could be an "extremely demanding" boss. She said he "demanded the best of all of his staff" and they tried to deliver this.

She said she never had concerns about female staff working with Mr Salmond.

Ms Easton, 54, said she remembered hearing that another complainer, a civil servant known as Woman D, had shown Mr Salmond a holiday photo of her in a bikini.

She agreed with Gordon Jackson QC, for the defence, that this incident went down in office folklore. She said: "I certainly did not think it was appropriate."

She also recalled being "taken aback" after seeing Woman D walking closely with Mr Salmond during a trip to America.

"I remember it was much more closely than you would in a professional situation," she said. "It raised my eyebrow and a colleague's eyebrow."

Roger Cherry, Mr Salmond's former driver, also gave evidence for the defence in relation to allegations made by a complainer known as Woman C, who is an SNP politician.

Mr Salmond is accused of placing his hand on her leg during a car journey.

Mr Cherry, 53, told the court he did not see this occur, and said the atmosphere in the car was "very jovial".

The trial, before judge Lady Dorrian, continues today.