Police ScotlandA rapist former police sergeant, who preyed on a colleague while she was asleep, was first arrested in 2009 but the case was dropped.
Earlier this week, Campbell Petrie, 50, was convicted of a total of nine charges involving a catalogue of physical and sexual abuse towards two women spanning between 2006 and 2022.
Details of his crimes emerged at his trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Petrie was initially arrested in 2009 over allegations of threatening behaviour against one of his victims.
He was held in a cell for around five hours and later released. The case was then dropped due to “insufficient evidence”.
Petrie was then promoted to the rank of sergeant following his arrest, yet continued his offending.
It wasn’t until October 2023, when a complaint of rape was made against him, that an investigation was launched by specialist sexual crime officers.
Two months later, he was arrested, charged and suspended from the force in December 2023. Petrie later retired from Police Scotland in 2025, months before his trial.
STV News understands, following sentencing, that it is likely Petrie’s pension will be impacted.
Police said historic data searches in 2023, before the rape allegation was made, did not flag “unknown information on Petrie”.
His conviction comes in the wake of two high-profile cases of serious sexual offending carried out by police officers in Scotland.
In July, it emerged PC Allan Greer took his own life after being revealed as a rapist who had tried to murder women.
Police ScotlandIt was later revealed Greer was allowed to join the force despite vetting staff being made aware he had previously been formally cautioned over inappropriate phone calls to a woman.
Greer’s campaign of sexual assault and attempted murder spanned a period of more than 14 years, according to a BBC Disclosure investigation.
The same month, serving police officer Cameron Ross was jailed for ten years after raping two women and abusing a third.
Ross was also found guilty of offences including domestic abuse, attempting to pervert the course of justice and threatening or abusive behaviour.
Police ScotlandDeputy chief constable Bex Smith said: “The independent historic data wash, carried out by UK policing between March and July 2023, interrogated the Police National Database and did not identify any unknown information on Petrie.
“The checks carried out by Police Scotland went further than UK forces, and included robust interrogation of both the vulnerable person’s database and intelligence system.
“In October 2023, a complaint of rape was made against Petrie and an investigation by specialist sexual crime officers was immediately launched. He was arrested, charged and suspended from duty in early December 2023.
“The courage shown by the victim to come forward and speak to police was crucial in helping us identify previous offending towards another woman.
“Violence against women and girls remains an absolute priority for Police Scotland and we will relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of these crimes.
“Our thoughts are very much with the victims in this case and I commend their strength in reporting these crimes and bringing Campbell Petrie to justice.
“We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer. I want to reassure the public we will identify and investigate these officers whether they are serving or retired, or whether their crimes are committed on duty or, as in this instance, off duty.”
Court hears of catalogue of physical and sexual abuse
During Petrie’s trial, jurors at the High Court in Glasgow heard how he got to know one of his victims as they both worked for the police.
He described her as a “bit starry eyed” – but she was “pretty” and “out of his league”.
Petrie said it was an “ego boost” to learn the woman was “interested in him”, adding he was “more flattered than anything else” given the age gap.
Jurors heard it was “all very pleasant” initially between them when they got together.
However the woman told the court: “He did not like me working with men.”
Keep-fit fanatic Campbell started making weight jibes and tried to get the woman to stand on scales.
He was also said to have raked through bins to check what she had eaten.
The woman recalled that he warned he would harm her if she ever left him.
Petrie said: “I would certainly not make threats to kill anyone.”
He also tried to ban her from going on social media and made her lose contact with friends.
Among other incidents, which included physical assaults, was Petrie hounding her at a friend’s home despite being warned not to come near.
Prosecutors branded this incident “sinister” as he loitered at the back of the property in the dark.
Sexual allegations
Defence KC Edith Forrest quizzed him on sexual allegations made by this woman.
This included testimony that he raped her in the changing rooms of a leisure centre in Lanarkshire.
Petrie replied: “That never took place at all in the swimming baths, there or anywhere public.”
He previously took advantage of the woman at a flat in Glasgow’s Southside in 2011, having sex with her after she had been drinking and was unable to consent.
Petrie’s other victim, who had earlier suffered at his hands, accused Petrie of “lovebombing” her after they met in a queue in a Tesco supermarket in Glasgow’s Springburn while he was on shift.
He had “immediately found her quite attractive”.
She later came to see him at the city’s Baird Street station, and they remained in contact.
Despite all going well initially, the officer soon changed and started calling her names like “fat cow” and “s**t”.
The woman said: “He wanted me to be a skinny blonde.”
The court heard he lost his temper in a bar in the city’s West End and dragged her out, having earlier hit a man.
Ms Forrest put it to him: “She also went on to say how she woke up to find you (having sex with her). Did that happen?”
Petrie replied: “No.”
Ms Forrest said: “Her allegations – how do you feel about that?”
He replied: “I would never do that while someone was asleep. I find it absolutely sickening, devastating.”
Petrie also refuted claims he was overly physical with this victim, insisting anything he did was with “affection”.
He told jurors: “There was never any time she was forced to do anything. She was fully consenting.”
The trial heard evidence of a drunken Petrie being aggressive with the woman after a party.
He denied putting his hands around her throat.
The woman made a complaint to police in 2009, but the case was later dropped.
Petrie raped sleeping woman
In cross-examination, prosecutor Paul Harvey KC initially put to Petrie that he preyed on the earlier woman while she was asleep.
The ex-officer denied this.
Mr Harvey said: “Who else said that you had sex with her while she was asleep?”
Petrie replied: “The other woman.”
The advocate depute said: “The truth is, both women we heard from told us that you had sex with them while they were asleep – there is a remarkable similarity in their accounts.”
Petrie replied: “Yes, it’s almost too convenient a similarity.”
In his closing speech, Mr Harvey urged jurors to convict Petrie.
The prosecutor said: “Each woman spoke to Petrie doing sexual things to them while asleep.
“Each of them is being pestered by Petrie, speaking about sexual offending against the background of a general long-term pattern of control and abuse.
“Each of them knew what he could be like if he did not get his way.”
After the verdicts, Judge Alistair Watson told Petrie that the “gravity of the crimes committed cannot be overstated”.
Petrie had been on bail, but was remanded in custody as sentencing was deferred until next month.
Police thank victims for coming forward
Following Petrie’s conviction, detective superintendent Adam Brown from the Public Protection Unit thanked his victims for coming forward, and pledged to investigate allegations of criminality against police officers.
He said: “Violence against women and girls is an absolute priority for Police Scotland and we will relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of these crimes.
“Our thoughts are very much with the victims in this case and I commend their strength in reporting these crimes and bringing Campbell Petrie to justice.
“Petrie will now face the consequences of his actions and [this] outcome should serve as an illustration of our determination in those investigations and I hope that this outcome may bring some closure to those affected by this case.”
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