Police officer found guilty of raping two people
Content warning: This story contains details of sexual assault. If you have been affected by this issue, help is available.
A POLICE officer has been jailed today (Thursday) after being found guilty of raping a woman and a teenage girl in Shetland.
Carmichael John Williamson, known as John, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing after a jury returned guilty verdicts against him on three charges of rape and a further charge of underage sex.
Williamson, 32, had denied the offences during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh but was convicted of all four charges that jurors were asked to return verdicts on.
Williamson, of Burra, was on bail during the proceedings, but a judge ordered that he be remanded while a background report is prepared on him.
Judge John Morris KC said that it had been a “very distressing and anxious” case and told jurors that counselling was available should they require it.
Williamson, who the court heard had served as a police constable for more than 10 years, was visibly upset as he was led from the dock in handcuffs.
He was convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old girl at locations in Shetland in 2014 and of raping the girl on one occasion between April 2014 and October 2015.
He was also found guilty of raping an adult woman on two occasions in Shetland in 2020 and 2022.
Williamson was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Copy by Dave Finlay of Edinburgh Courts Press Services
If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.
For victims of general crime:
Victim Support Shetland
Phone: 01595 744524 or 0800 1601985
Web: https://victimsupport.scot/locations/victim-support-shetland/
Email: VictimSupportHighlandsIslands@victimsupportsco.org.uk
For anyone affected by crime & harm seeking a restorative approach:
Space2face
Phone: 07564 832467
Web: https://www.space2face.org
Email: info@space2face.org
For anyone affected by gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual assault, and rape:
Shetland Women’s Aid
Phone: 01595 692070
Web: https://www.shetlandwa.org
Email: office@shetlandwa.org
The Compass Centre (Shetland Rape Crisis)
Phone: 01595 747174 or 08088 010302
Web: https://www.compasscentre.org
Email: contact@compasscentre.org
For anyone affected by substance use:
Shetland Recovery Hub and Community Network
Phone: 01595 744402
Web: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075791869200
Email: recoveryhub@shetland.gov.uk
Shetland Alcohol & Drug Partnership
Phone: 01595 743060 or 07342 077789
Web: https://shetlandadp.org.uk
Email: shet.sadp@nhs.scot
Substance Use Recovery Service
Phone: 01595 743006
