A former Highland police officer was jailed for seven years today for the “humiliating” abuse of a woman who did not consent when he had sex with her.
Christopher Wylie, 47, also offered another man sexual intercourse with his victim in exchange for drugs.
Wylie, a used car salesman, throttled the woman and lunged at her while he was in possession of a knife during abusive conduct that spanned 20 months.
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 the ordeal, 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 joined the police in 2009 and whose career in the force lasted about 10 years, had sex with the woman without her consent and offered another man intercourse with her in return for drugs.
Ex-cop was abusing alcohol when he offended, his defence lawyer said
He denied the offence during a trial at the High Court in Inverness but a jury unanimously found him guilty.
Defence counsel Brian McConnachie KC said Wylie maintained his position although the jurors had rejected his account.
Mr McConnachie said his client is a first-time offender but was abusing alcohol at the time of his criminality.
The lawyer added that Wylie was assessed as posing a low-level risk of reoffending.
He said that during the sex offender’s time in custody, he had been transferred from Inverness jail to a prison in Dumfries.
“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,” Mr McConnachie added.
Wylie was earlier placed on the sex offenders register.
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