A married police officer who had an affair with a younger colleague and carried out a campaign of abuse against her has been spared jail. PC Martin McNally, 43, sparked a secret romance with the 26-year-old officer when they met at work.
They swapped 110,000 messages during a 23-month relationship which they kept secret from other officers. But McNally would regularly subject her to violent and controlling outbursts which left her terrified.
She went to senior officers after being subjected to a torrent of abuse during a phone call where he accused her of infidelity and labelled her a ‘bike’ and a ‘slut’. McNally, of Glasgow, denied any wrongdoing and went on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court
A jury convicted him of engaging in abusive behaviour towards her and uttering sexual remarks between March 2020 and February 2022 as well as repeatedly assaulting her between July and December 2021 in locations in Lanarkshire and Glasgow.
Sheriff John Hamilton KC tagged McNally, who has now resigned from the police, for six months and ordered him to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He was banned from contacting his victim for 10 years and put under supervision for two years. The court heard McNally and his wife were ‘estranged’ after his affair was revealed in 2022 but are now back together.
Under questioning from depute fiscal Neil Thomson, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told how she had been abused by McNally.
The jury was also shown photos of bruising to her neck after she had been strangled by him. In one recording played to court, she could be heard sobbing as she repeatedly begged McNally to leave her home.
She said: “I’m going to phone the police, you strangled me, you pinned me to the ground and you strangled me. You did it upstairs, please go. You strangled me and I couldn’t breathe.”
Dad-of-three McNally repeatedly denied strangling his victim and claimed he had not abused her but admitted taking a mobile phone and punching holes in her door.
He said: “The things I did I have admitted to, I have admitted taking the phone and punching the door but the strangulation did not happen. I was upset in that recording, she was upset and I was just trying to de-escalate it.”
Mark Moir KC, defending, said: “He was a police officer for 14 years before his suspension in 2021 and he has now resigned from the police and is no longer a serving officer.
“He has now lost his job and that loss of employment and his good name is a significant punishment in its own right. References from his wife, a police constable and an inspector all consider his conduct to be completely out of character.
“They have never seen him act in the manner in which he was convicted.” Sheriff Hamilton said: “Your conduct towards the complainer was deeply disturbing, controlling and unpleasant.
“It is important to note that you were a police officer and were her mentor but you chose to enter into a relationship with her and the power imbalance is a concern. I’m of the view that the custody threshold has been crossed.
“I would be justified in sending you to jail however I feel I can draw back from that.” A Police Scotland spokesperson said “We acknowledge the outcome. The circumstances will now be considered by our Professional Standards Department.”