Former Forres police officer Scott Gallop sentenced for sexual assault
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An ex-policeman has been placed on the sex offenders register for a year after he made unwanted advances towards a female colleague.
Scott Gallop, who retired from the force at the end of 2018, appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court today to be sentenced.
At the time of the offence the 54-year-old had worked at Forres Police station alongside the considerably younger woman who has also left the police since.
During his trial, which took place at the same court two months ago, he denied a charge of touching her on the buttocks and body at a house in Forres on September 4, 2017.
However Sheriff Robert MacDonald, who heard the case against Gallop, found him guilty of sexual assault.
Passing sentence today, Sheriff MacDonald said: "Every case involving sexual assault is a serious matter and will have a very big impact on the victim.
"We have to acknowledge that there's a scale of sexual offences and, on that scale, this is not the most serious, but that in no way trivialises the offence or the impact it had."
The court heard that the matter was first the subject of an internal investigation a year after it took place.
A further 12 months later it then became part of an official probe into wider claims that a so-called "Boys' Club" existed at Forres police station which harboured a culture of sexism and bullying.
The independent police watchdog's review, which cost £247,000, ultimately decided there was only sufficient evidence to prosecute Gallop.
Sheriff MacDonald said he remained unconvinced by the defendant's claims to have not been sexually attracted to the woman.
He added: "Having been told by her that you had misread the signals you then committed the offence."
A report compiled by social workers into Gallop's character concluded there was a very limited risk of him offending again.
Sheriff MacDonald stated that when deciding on an appropriate sentence he had taken into account the defendant's long record of service, both with the RAF and then the police.
He also made note of the length of time since the offence and the lack of any allegations since.
The sheriff therefore said he was stopping short of ordering Gallop to carry out unpaid work for the community.
The defendant was instead placed under the court's supervision for the next 12 months, during which his name will be included on the sex offenders register.
