Mr Sheridan began his closing speech on Tuesday afternoon Tommy Sheridan has begun his closing speech at his perjury trial by accusing Lothian and Borders Police of conducting “a vendetta” against him.
He told jurors that the case against him relied on witnesses who lacked credibility and reliability.
Mr Sheridan apologised for the length of his speech, saying his life was at stake if he was convicted.
Mr Sheridan denies lying during his successful defamation case against the News of the World in 2006.
The former Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) leader won £200,000 after the newspaper printed allegations that he had committed adultery and visited a swingers’ club.
After the court action, Mr Sheridan and his wife Gail, both 46, were charged with perjury.
The charges against Mrs Sheridan were withdrawn by the Crown last week and she was acquitted.
During a trial lasting two-and-a-half months, the number of perjury allegations against Mr Sheridan has been reduced by the prosecution from 19 to six.
On Monday, the trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard closing remarks from Alex Prentice QC on behalf of the prosecution.
Mr Sheridan, who is representing himself, started his summation on Tuesday by apologising to the 12 women and two men on the jury, saying his speech would be “lengthy and time-consuming”.
“The Crown’s problem is they are seeking to rely on liars”
Tommy Sheridan Accused
He added: “But I hope you will understand that my life’s at stake.
“I’ve got a wee girl at home. I’ve got a loving wife and if you convict me I’ll be separated from them for a very long time.”
Mr Sheridan told the jury that there was “far too much reasonable doubt for you to find me guilty of any of the remaining six charges.”
He went on to criticise Crown witnesses who had given evidence during his civil action against the News of the World in 2006.
Mr Sheridan said the prosecution’s problem was that it had relied on witnesses who lacked both credibility and reliability.
The politician told the court about a police raid on his house in December 2007, saying 10 officers were at his home for eight hours, even searching the nursery of his then two-year-old daughter, Gabrielle.
“They turned the tiny pockets of her wee anorak inside out,” he said.
Mr Sheridan said the police should be ashamed of the way they conducted themselves and should be ashamed of their failure to investigate witnesses who gave evidence for the News of the World in 2006.
“The Crown’s problem is they are seeking to rely on liars,” he said, pointing out what he claimed where inconsistencies from prosecution witnesses.
Mr Sheridan accused Lothian and Borders Police of pursuing “a vendetta” and said the case against him “wasn’t a prosecution, it was a persecution”.
The former MSP also spoke about the now abandoned charges against his wife Gail, saying the reason she had been in the dock “was nothing to do with being guilty of perjury – she was guilty of believing in her husband”.
Mr Sheridan will finish his closing speech on Tuesday afternoon.
Trial judge Lord Bracadale is expected to address the jury on points of law on Wednesday before they retire to consider their verdict.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.