Christopher Ferguson – Lanarkshire

A disgraced former police officer who subjected a woman to a ‘heinous’ campaign of abuse has been jailed for 14 months.

Christopher Ferguson, 33, repeatedly targeted his victim after meeting her online.

He branded her a ‘slut’, ‘pathetic’ and called her a ‘f*****g wee c**t’ on a day out after Rangers had suffered a defeat.

Jealous Ferguson even created a fake Tinder profile of the woman which one of her friends discovered.

He would also demand to see her Instagram profile so he could see who had liked and commented on her photos.

During another incident he pinned her against a wall which left her ‘sobbing’ due to his aggressive conduct.

He later told her he had attended therapy and delivered a 19-page handwritten ‘sorry letter’ in which he apologised for being emotionally abusive towards her.

Ferguson, of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted breaching domestic abuse laws between May 2021 and February 2023.

Depute fiscal Kevin Morrow said: “He told her that he was detective in the child sex abuse unit but that was discovered to be false and it was an ex-partner who was in that role and he also falsified what university he had attended.”

Detailing an incident which took place at Ferguson’s friends wedding, the prosecutor added: “The accused made negative comments about her looks which made her feel self-conscious and he accused her of making too much of an effort and wanted attention from other males.”

Describing the moment Ferguson pinned the woman against a door, the court was told: “She told him she had been speaking to her friend and he pushed her with both hands against the front door and she was sobbing and begging him to let her go and she said she was in shock.”

The court heard the woman stopped eating and sleeping due to the ordeal and he was later reported to the police.

Gregor Jarrott, defending, said: “There is no attempt to blame the complainer or attempt by him to mitigate his behaviour and he accepts full responsibility for that.

“He is entirely realistic about the eventual outcome of this case and that is that a custodial sentence will be imposed. There is no excuse for his behaviour.”

Sheriff Colin Dunipace blasted Ferguson and banned him from contacting his victim for 10 years.

The sheriff said: “You pled guilty to a serious and heinous campaign of abuse to someone who was entitled to look towards you for love, support and affection.

“But instead you chose to abuse her psychologically and physically to control, manipulate and frighten her.

“You sought to lower your victim’s self-esteem and self-worth which caused anxiety and no doubt long-standing trauma to your former partner.”

Ferguson, who is being held in HMP Dumfries, will be supervised for six months following his release from jail.

The shamed ex-constable was jailed for three-years-and-nine-months in August 2024 for abusing three former partners over a 14-year period.

He was convicted at Hamilton Sheriff Court of nine charges including assault, stalking, voyeurism, breach of the peace and acting in a controlling, threatening, manipulative and abusive manner which took place between 2007 and 2021.

Ferguson was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and banned from contacting these three victims for the same period.