A police constable in the Shetland Isles has been found guilty of raping a woman and an underage girl. Carmichael John Williamson, known as John Williamson, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday. The 32-year-old was found guilty by a jury following a trial.
Offences spanning several years
Williamson was convicted of having sexual activity with a girl when she was underage in 2014, and raping her between 2014 and 2015. He also raped a second woman in 2020 and again in 2022 while she was intoxicated and unable to consent. The jury reached their conclusion overnight.
Williamson, of Burra, has been remanded and is due to be sentenced at the same court on December 9.
Police response and wider context
Speaking after the verdict, Detective Superintendent Stevie Bertram, of Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit, said: "Reports of violence against women and girls are rising and it is of the utmost importance for Police Scotland to play its part in tackling this national emergency. Our thoughts are very much with the victims in this case, and I wholeheartedly commend their strength in reporting these crimes. This was the crucial first step in bringing Williamson to justice."
Bertram added: "Williamson will now face the consequences of his actions and today's outcome should highlight our determination to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators in these investigations. I hope that this outcome may bring some closure to those affected by this case." He also noted the difficulty of reporting such offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer, and reassured the public that officers involved in criminality will be identified and investigated, whether serving or retired, and whether crimes were committed on-duty or off-duty.
Other disgraced officers
The article also highlights other former and serving officers convicted of serious offences in recent years. Cameron Ross was jailed after being found guilty of raping two women and carrying out a campaign of domestic abuse against a third. The offences took place at locations in Inverness and on the Isle of Lewis between 2012 and 2022. Ross was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and jailed for a decade.
Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "Cameron Ross carried out deliberate and repeated acts of abuse against women over the course of a decade. This was sustained offending, which caused significant harm. As a police officer, he was in a position of trust. Instead of upholding the law, he chose to break it in a serious and persistent way."
Christopher Ferguson, 33, a former police officer, was jailed for 14 months in May after subjecting a woman to a campaign of abuse. He admitted breaching domestic abuse laws at Hamilton Sheriff Court. Ferguson, of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, was also jailed for three years and nine months in August 2024 for abusing three former partners over a 14-year period.
Alan Sharp, 52, a serving cop who took home six shotguns and other weapons surrendered to him, was jailed for two years in December. He pleaded guilty to firearms charges and wilful neglect of duties. Steven Charletta, 60, was jailed for two years after illegally accessing police records and sharing data. Andrew Hyams, 63, a former police officer, was jailed for two years for causing the death of 88-year-old Annie Sinclair and serious injury to van driver Carl Egerton by dangerous driving.
