Police Sergeant Sentenced to 12 Years for Preying on Two Women

A police sergeant has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of physically and sexually abusing two women over a period of 16 years. Campbell Petrie, 50, was found guilty of nine charges of abuse that occurred between 2006 and 2022.

One of the victims was a colleague whom Petrie raped while she was asleep. He received an extended sentence of 15 years, with 12 to be served in custody and the remaining three under supervision. Petrie was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life and is prohibited from contacting his victims or being within 100 meters of them.

Petrie was first arrested in 2009 following allegations, but he was released after five hours. He remained with Police Scotland, eventually receiving a promotion, before being arrested again in December 2023. He was subsequently charged and suspended from duty. Petrie retired from the force in December 2025 and had recently been working in a friend's sports shop.

During the sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Alistair Watson described Petrie's crimes as serious and repeated, emphasizing the gravity and persistence of his conduct. The court heard that the victims provided eloquent and moving descriptions of the trauma and deep psychological harm they continue to suffer. The judge commended their remarkable courage during the proceedings, expressing hope that the resolution would allow them to move forward in their recovery.

Petrie's defense counsel noted that he maintained his innocence. However, the judge called Petrie's continued denials and his suggestion that he was unaware his victims felt assaulted as bizarre and disappointing.

Petrie is among several Police Scotland officers who have recently been exposed as rapists. In May, Alan Greer died by suicide days after a police investigation into offenses dating back to 2012, which later revealed he had attacked more than a dozen women over a decade. In July, former constable Cameron Ross was jailed for raping two women and abusing a third. Earlier this week, Carmichael John Williamson was found guilty of raping a teenage girl and a woman between 2014 and 2022.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs stated that Petrie's actions were in stark contrast to the professionalism of the officers who investigated him. He added that this investigation demonstrates the public can expect victims to be listened to and supported when matters are reported, regardless of the perpetrator's identity, with immediate action taken to investigate those responsible.