A former Police Scotland sergeant who raped and sexually abused two women has been jailed for 12 years at the High Court in Glasgow.

Campbell Petrie, 50, was given an extended sentence of 15 years, with a custodial part of 12 years, at a hearing on Friday. The offences were committed against two women in Glasgow between 2006 and 2022, while Petrie was a serving police officer.

In September, a jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including two of rape, indecent assault, assault with intent to rape, and assault to injury and danger of life.

‘Deep and enduring’ harm

Sentencing Petrie, Judge Alistair Watson said the offences had caused the two women “deep and enduring psychological harm”. He said it was “obvious at trial that each of them still suffers enduring pain as a result of what you have done to them”.

The judge told Petrie that “the gravity of this kind of sustained criminal conduct cannot be overstated”. He said it was “disappointing” that Petrie continues to deny his responsibility for the offences.

Before sentence was passed, both women provided the court with accounts of the trauma they had suffered. The extended sentence means Petrie will remain under supervision in the community after his release from prison.

A campaign of abuse over 15 years

The trial heard how Petrie met the first woman while he was on duty. He said in evidence that he “immediately found her quite attractive” after speaking to her in a queue at a supermarket in Glasgow’s Springburn. Contact continued after the woman visited him at the city’s Baird Street police station.

The relationship began well, the court heard, but Petrie soon began insulting the woman. She told the court he called her names and criticised her appearance, telling her: “He wanted me to be a skinny blonde.”

The abuse escalated. Witnesses described an incident in a bar in Glasgow’s west end in which Petrie lost his temper and dragged the woman outside, having earlier struck a man. The woman told the court she woke to find Petrie having sex with her. Petrie denied the allegation, telling the jury he found the claim “absolutely sickening, devastating”.

The trial also heard that Petrie was arrested in 2009 following allegations made by one of the women, but was released after five hours and kept his police role. The offences continued for years afterwards.

A decorated career in the dock

Petrie was arrested, charged and suspended from duty in December 2023. He retired from Police Scotland in December 2025. He remained a serving officer when the offences were reported and investigated.

His defence counsel, Edith Forrest KC, told the sentencing hearing that Petrie’s only previous conviction was for a minor speeding offence. She said that during his time with Police Scotland he attained the rank of sergeant, occupied positions of considerable responsibility and received commendations in connection with his service.

That record formed part of the mitigation advanced on his behalf. It did not alter the jury’s verdict, and the judge made clear in his sentencing remarks that the seriousness of the conduct itself determined the punishment.

Policing under scrutiny

When Petrie was convicted in September, Detective Superintendent Adam Brown of Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit said the force would “relentlessly pursue” those responsible for violence against women and girls. He stressed that officers would be investigated whether serving or retired, and whether their crimes were committed on duty or off duty.

The case is likely to renew questions about how forces handle allegations against their own officers. The 2009 arrest, and the decision five years later that allowed Petrie to remain in post, will form part of that scrutiny. Police Scotland has not announced a separate misconduct hearing in relation to the case.

For the two women, the sentence marks the end of a legal process that began with allegations spanning more than 15 years. Judge Watson commended what he described as their courage in giving evidence. Petrie will now serve his sentence, with his release to be considered by the parole authorities in due course.