A Scottish police officer, Tariq Mahmood, has been sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of domestic abuse against two women, including a pregnant victim. The case has raised fresh calls for police officers convicted of domestic violence to be dismissed immediately.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Mahmood, 45, carried out repeated acts of abuse, including kicking one woman, threatening to take a child away from another, and emotionally manipulating both. One victim was blamed for not having children and falsely accused of infidelity, while the other—pregnant at the time—was controlled and subjected to references to childhood trauma.
The crimes took place between April 2019 and February 2022 across locations including Edinburgh and Newtongrange in Midlothian. In addition to unpaid work, Mahmood was placed under two years of supervision and received four-year non-harassment orders regarding both victims.
Police Scotland Responds
Police Scotland responded strongly to the case, stating that Mahmood’s actions were in direct contradiction to the service’s values. Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison praised the strength of the victims, saying:
“We want the public to be reassured that all reports are thoroughly investigated, no matter when the offending took place or who is involved.”
Following the conviction on 2 June, Mahmood was suspended from duties. Police Scotland confirmed he has not undertaken any further work and intends to resign. Despite his criminal conviction, Mahmood cannot be dismissed until an internal disciplinary process concludes, due to current Scottish police conduct regulations.
Campaigners Call for Legal Reform
Domestic abuse campaigners argue that convicted officers should face automatic dismissal. Annie Hirdman, whose former police officer partner was convicted of abuse, told BBC Scotland:
“Officers convicted of cruel crimes like domestic abuse should be sacked on the spot, not allowed to resign quietly.”
The Scottish Government stated that the new Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act will strengthen police integrity and accountability. A public consultation on further conduct reform and accelerated misconduct proceedings is underway.
Police Officer Domestic Abuse Raises Public Outcry
Despite Mahmood’s 16 years of service, including a decade with West Midlands Police, the court noted the severity of his conduct but opted for a non-custodial sentence. His advocate, Edith Forrest KC, claimed he maintained innocence but apologized for aspects of his behavior.
Police Scotland reiterated that “all officers are bound by Standards of Professional Behaviour”, and internal disciplinary steps will follow.
