The lurid allegations, the tears and histrionics, claims of drug-fuelled orgies, political conspiracy and even the virtues of Scrabble are finally drawing to a close in Edinburgh’s Court of Session.

For the past three weeks, the life of Tommy Sheridan has been laid bare to a packed court house which has enthralled the Scottish public. But the melodrama is fast hurtling towards a conclusion.

The former Scottish Socialist party leader, who has represented himself in the final throes of the £200,000 defamation case he brought against the News of the World, made his closing address to the jury today.

His life, he told them, was on the line. Emotional and close to tears throughout his 85-minute address, he said that the life of his unborn baby had also been put at risk by the stress felt by his pregnant wife Gail when the paper published claims that he had a four-year-affair with a former prostitute.

The News of the World were "liars and hypocrites" he asserted, and recapping the evidence added:

"From three-in-a bed to four-in-a-bed. From four-in-a bed to five-in-a-bed. From five-in-a-bed to sex clubs. From sex clubs to champagne. From champagne to cocaine. From cocaine to orgies in a hotel slap bang in the middle of Glasgow.

"The allegations in the course of this case have been as numerous as grains of sand in the Sahara Desert but evidence, but real tangible, substantial evidence, has been conspicuous by its absence."

The politician denied claims that he had sexual relationships with the former prostitute Fiona McGuire, former SSP candidate Katrine Trolle, and, while he was married, with News Of The World journalist Anvar Khan.

He also dismissed the "dodgy minute" of the party’s emergency executive committee meeting of November 9 2004, at which some members, including three MSPs, said he had admitted attending a swingers club.

"The case against me on behalf of the News of the World has not produced a single smoking gun but it has featured plenty of smoke and mirrors," he said.

Mr Sheridan also offered to strip in court to prove evidence given by his wife that he has excessive body hair, a feature not mentioned by any of the women who said they slept with him.

To much hilarity in the public gallery, he recalled his wife’s testimony that he was "like a hairy ape".

"I do have excessive hair on my chest, my legs and, unfortunately, my back," he said.

"That is what gives me an ape-like appearance on the beach, on holiday. I have never been waxed in my life…

"If that’s challenged, let’s have a de-robing. Let’s prove that particular characteristic, which I think is very important.

"If Fiona McGuire was rubbing ice cubes around my body she would have ended up with a hairball."

He also told the jury he had never recalled crying in public before.

"I have got to say to you it is not easy, from the background that I come from, for a man to cry in public," he said, adding that he was not embarrassed at losing his composure.

"What you have to decide is if those tears were the tears of and honest man who is loving and faithful to his wife or the tears of a clown, the tears of a fraud, the tears of a complete and utter idiot."

The hearing continues.

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