Dundee police officer guilty of abusive behaviour but cleared of sexual assault charge

A Dundee police officer has been ordered to pay compensation to a nightclub worker to whom he was drunkenly abusive.

PC Robbie Milne called the woman a “c**t” and said he wanted to be served by someone better looking than her.

The 34-year-old is suspended and his career is in jeopardy after he pled guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to “reprehensible” behaviour on September 20 2022 at Underground on South Tay Street.

He was cleared of a sexual assault allegation arising from an incident on a different night in the same year.

Insulted club worker

Describing the Underground incident, fiscal depute Lora Apostolova said Milne called the woman, who was working and serving drinks, a “c**t” before saying again: “You are a bit of a c**t”.

Ms Apostolova said: “He mentioned that he wanted to be served by another member of staff that was better looking than her.”

Defence solicitor Gary McIlravey said the woman in question was the former partner of another police colleague of Milne’s.

Mr McIlravey said: “They had separated and the former partner was trying to be served and was refused service by the complainer.

“He (Milne) is embarrassed to say that he was terribly under the influence of alcohol and behaved in this reprehensible fashion for a police officer.

“Because he became so drunk and ill it was sometime later that he was put out.

“I don’t think he’s terribly welcome back.”

The lawyer added: “This, of course, will trigger an internal inquiry so his long-term prospects may be in the air.”

Milne pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and making offensive remarks towards the woman.

Sheriff Rafferty ordered Milne to pay £300 in compensation. Milne asked to pay the money in two months but the sheriff ordered 28 days for full payment.

Sexual assault allegation

Milne was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman at the Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) on May 4 in the same year.

Staff had repeatedly carried out “assessments” on Milne, who claimed to have drunk as many as 20 VK alcopops, five vodkas, three to four beers as well as sharing a bottle of wine with his two friends.

A female security worker approached Milne in the student union and she said he put his arm on her right buttock and moved his hand up her back when she went to assess if he was okay.

She claimed Milne made direct eye contact with her and said she felt “pretty disgusting” after walking away.

The woman said the incident lasted no longer than eight seconds and believed Milne’s actions were sexual, despite accepting it could have been accidental.

Giving evidence in his defence, Milne said he was struggling to hear the woman and felt “harassed” by the staff.

He said: “It was absolutely not intentional and not sexual in any way at all.

“I was trying to listen to what she was trying to say to me.

“The eye contact was to read what she was saying to me because I can’t hear because of the loud music.

“I pulled her in towards me.

“I’m quite tall, I’m drunk, it’s dark, I’m not trying to intentionally do anything.

“I pulled her towards me to hear what she was saying.

“I didn’t want to get her in a headlock. I’m not trying to assault the girl.”

Sheriff John Rafferty found Milne not guilty of sexual assault after concluding he had a “reasonable doubt” about the evidence presented.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the outcome at Dundee Sheriff Court and the matter will now be referred to the Deputy Chief Constable for consideration of misconduct proceedings.”

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