Record details
A former Police Scotland officer has been jailed for seven years after subjecting a woman to constant abuse that included having sex with her without her consent.
Christopher Wylie, 47, also offered another man sexual intercourse with the victim in exchange for drugs.
Wylie throttled the woman and lunged at her while he was in possession of a knife during abusive conduct that spanned 20 months.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said the conduct directed towards the victim was "appalling, sustained and humiliating".
Judge Michael O'Grady KC told Wylie: "Such behaviour is bound to attract a significant period of imprisonment."
Wylie was earlier convicted of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive towards and to the danger of the woman's 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.
Wylie 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, had sex with the woman without her consent and offered another man intercourse with her in return for drugs.
He denied the offences at an earlier trial at the High Court in Inverness but was found guilty by jury.
Police Scotland Det Con Emma Ellis said: “I hope this sentence provides some measure of closure for his victim.
"Sexual abuse has no place in our communities and we would encourage anyone who is experiencing abuse, or know someone who is, to get in touch."
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 added 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 that his work as a police officer meant that "his period in custody will be more difficult for him than an ordinary person".
Mr McConnachie said: "He fully accepts only one sentence is available and that is a custodial sentence."
Wylie has also been placed on the sex offenders register.
