Glasgow Cathcart by-election 2005

'What compounds Mike Watson's crime and further impugns his character is that after the event he attempted to dissemble and deny it. He tried to conceal matches and continued to deny his guilt even when confronted with damning CCTV footage, stills of which were obtained by The Herald. Yesterday, his solicitor conceded that the case might never have come to court without this evidence, handed over to police by this newspaper. Watson changed his plea to guilty only yesterday.' Herald Editorial, 2 nd September 2005.

Watson 'had drunk more than was wise'

By Tom Gordon, Scottish Political Correspondent, in the Herald 2 nd September 2005

WHEN Lord Watson hurried past the scrum of cameramen and photographers to enter court yesterday at 9.30am, there was little doubt among observers they were witnessing the end of his career.

Watson had been in twice before in the previous nine days for pre-trial proceedings. Initially looking confident, he was accompanied only by his lawyers and a public relations adviser.

Last week, however, it is understood he was shown CCTV footage from the night of the fire for the first time, and his lawyers began "negotiations" with the Crown Office. When Watson walked into Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday he was holding the hand of Clare, his third wife. It was a public show of marital unity, and a clear sign Watson was on the brink of admitting his guilt.

At 10.30am, after a delay to set up a widescreen TV, proceedings began in front of Sheriff Kathrine Mackie.

Watson, wearing a dark suit, cream shirt and checked blue tie, was motioned to sit in the dock by his lawyer, Paul Burns. He then spoke only to confirm his name.

As Watson's wife looked on, Mr Burns then confirmed his client admitted the first of two charges of wilful fireraising against him, but denied the second, and the Crown had accepted these pleas. Watson then leant on the front of the dock to sign a form.

Adrian Fraser, procurator-fiscal, gave a potted biography of the peer before recounting the events of November 11 and 12 last year in painstaking detail. Painting a picture of Watson being drunk and aggressive, he said: "The night porter considered his behaviour was strange and resolved to keep an eye on him, but was called away to deal with another work matter and lost sight of the accused."

Not long after he "forcefully" demanded more wine from staff, the hotel firm alarm was activated, and staff found a burning curtain in the reception area, which they quickly extinguished.

Mr Fraser said staff had then watched CCTV footage of the area and seen a figure enter, bend down at the curtain that caught fire, and appear to put something in his sporran Ð later believed to be matches.

Watson was later escorted from the hotel and police were contacted the next morning. Mr Fraser then asked for the lights above the widescreen TV to be dimmed and began to play the crucial CCTV footage. Throughout the showing, Watson watched intently.

Mr Burns then tried to explain the position of his client, whom he said had drunk "more than was wise".

He said: "The events of this night are as incomprehensible to Mr Watson as they must be to the many people who have looked at them and puzzled over them."

After recounting Watson's public service, he said: "It's a great sadness on many levels that such a career should be brought to such an abrupt standstill by the perplexing events of November 12, 2004, at the Scottish Politician of the Year awards.

"The plea that is tendered by Mr Watson today acknowledges that it would be inappropriate for him to continue as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, and he has accordingly intimated to the clerk his intention to demit office."

He said Watson had no wish to stay on and "impugn" the integrity of an institution he had campaigned for all his life.

Mr Burn said he did not believe the matter "could simply be explained in terms of alcohol".

Hinting at a troubled soul, he said: "There is a price to be paid for the pressures of public life and, like many persons in public life, there are sadnesses and disappointments in Mr Watson's private life that I suspect go some long way to explaining the sad chain of events that bring us here."

A short while later, Watson was back outside, pushing past an even bigger scrum of press.

As reporters asked if he was ashamed, he said nothing, before climbing into a waiting car. Wherever he was headed, his prospects were bleak.