Former police officer Christopher Wylie jailed for subjecting woman to 'appalling' abuse

A former police officer has been jailed for seven years after subjecting a woman to “appalling” abuse including having sex with her without her consent.

Christopher Wylie also offered another man sexual intercourse with the victim in exchange for drugs.

The 47-year-old throttled the woman and lunged at her while he was in possession of a knife during abusive conduct that spanned a 20-month period.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: “Such behaviour is bound to attract a significant period of imprisonment.”

Judge Michael O’Grady KC said Wylie carried out a course of conduct directed at the woman that was appalling, sustained and humiliating.

Wylie was earlier convicted of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive towards and to the danger of her life between April 2019 and December 2021 at a Highland hamlet and elsewhere.

During it he grabbed the victim’s mobile phone from her and read her messages and continually called and messaged her.

He also threatened to harm himself and sent her photographs of self-inflicted harm. He hid the woman’s car keys and phone and would get her to send him photos to prove where she was.

During the abuse Wylie lunged at the woman and struggled with her while he had a knife, resulting in her falling to the floor.

He also seized the woman by the neck and squeezed restricting her breathing and covered her mouth and nose with his hands.

Wylie, who was in the police for around ten years after joining in 2009, had sex with the woman without her consent and offered another man intercourse with her in return for drugs.

He denied the offence at an earlier trial at the High Court in Inverness but was found guilty by the verdict of the jury.

Defence counsel Brian McConnachie KC said Wylie maintained his position throughout although the jurors clearly rejected his account.

Mr McConnachie said Wylie was to all intents and purposes a first offender but was abusing alcohol at the time of the offending.

The defence counsel said that Wylie was assessed as posing a low level of risk of further offending.

He said that during his time in custody he has been transferred from Inverness jail to prison in Dumfries and added: “Given his previous employment as a police officer perhaps his period in custody will be more difficult for him than an ordinary person.”

“He fully accepts only one sentence is available and that is a custodial sentence,” said Mr McConnachie.

Wylie was earlier placed on the sex offenders’ register.