Ex-Scottish police officer gets 12 years for assaulting two women

Campbell Petrie has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of raping two women and committing other sexual and physical offences over 17 years.

Petrie, a former Police Scotland sergeant, was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow on eight charges, including four counts of rape. These crimes took place against the two women in Scotland between 2006 and 2023.

He denied all the accusations against him.

Judge Alistair Watson said the sentence shows how serious and persistent Petrie’s crimes were. He noted that both victims still suffer from psychological harm.

After serving his time, Petrie will face an extra three years of supervision and monitoring in the community. He will also be on the sex offenders register.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs called Petrie’s actions a “series of severely abusive, exploitative and violent crimes towards women.”

Judge Watson shared that he had read “the eloquent and moving descriptions provided by both of the women” and praised their “remarkable courage” during the court case.

“It was obvious that they suffer enduring pain for what you did to them,” the judge told Petrie.

Earlier reports showed that concerns about Petrie’s behaviour surfaced in 2009 when one of the women reported him for threatening behaviour.

Though he was held at a police station for five hours, no further actions were taken due to lack of evidence.

In 2023, a full investigation started after another woman reported him for rape.

Petrie was arrested, charged, and suspended from his job in December 2023. He retired from the police force a year later.

His conviction raised worries about the vetting process in Police Scotland. A nationwide “historic data wash” in 2023, following the cases of officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, did not reveal any unknown information about Petrie.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell stated earlier in October that 45 police officers were suspended over allegations of violence against women and girls.

New rules coming in 2026 will require about 8,000 police officers and staff to go through fresh vetting checks. Priority will go to those who have served long and those who work closely with vulnerable people.

Mairs said he hopes the sentence brings some “closure and comfort” to Petrie’s victims.

Petrie is the fourth current or former Police Scotland officer reported by GB News to be convicted of rape in just five months.

In May, serving officer Alan Greer took his own life days after police searched his home for offences dating back to 2012. Investigations later showed he was a serial sex offender who targeted at least 15 victims.

A couple of months later, former constable Cameron Ross was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping two women and abusing a third.

On Thursday, serving officer John Williamson was found guilty of raping a teenage girl and a woman in Shetland. His sentencing is set for December.

These cases have brought back focus on how the police handle claims of sexual violence and how well they can spot officers who might be a danger to women and girls.