Edinburgh police officer's horrific domestic abuse campaign led to his partner attempting suicide
Senior officer slams slams disgraced constable’s behaviour
A n Edinburgh police officer carried out a horrific two year campaign of domestic abuse that led to his partner attempting to take her own life.
Gabriele Tersigni “victimised and humiliated” the woman by controlling who she could see and jealously demanded he attend when she went on nights out with friends.
He also searched the woman’s phone without her permission and accused her of having affairs with other men during the abusive relationship between January 2023 and December 2024.
Tersigni, 25, repeatedly called the woman derogatory names and told her if they ever had children together “he would not love them because they came from her”.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the victim’s mother was eventually forced to rush her daughter to hospital after visiting her home and finding her “exhausted and broken”.
A senior Police Scotland officer has now slammed the disgraced constable’s behaviour and praised the woman’s “strength” in coming forward to report the abuse.
Prosecutor Hannah Fairbrother told the court the woman was so distressed by her two year ordeal she began to self harm and had attempted to take her own life on two occasions.
The fiscal said the woman was a teenager when she first met Tersigni, and after the couple moved in together he soon became controlling and coercive towards her.
Ms Fairbrother said after months of mental torture the victim bravely made secret recordings of the abuse and had “compiled a list of what he had done to her” before showing it to her mother. She then ended the relationship and reported the abuse to the police in February last year.
Tersigini - who is currently suspended from the force - pled guilty to engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards the woman at an address in Edinburgh when he appeared at the Capital court earlier this year. The offence was prosecuted under section 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.
He returned to the dock for sentencing on Tuesday, May 19 where lawyer Lewis Muir said his client had “demonstrated insight and accepted responsibility” into his offending.
Sheriff Graeme Watson said: “Mr Tersigni, this is as bad a litany of coercive control and behaviour I have heard. Over a two year period you have demeaned, belittled and verbally abused this young woman - you have victimised her and humiliated her.
“This was protracted and escalating behaviour over two years. There was marked harm to the complainer and ultimately she was hospitalised.”
Tersigni was sentenced to an alternative to custody where he will be supervised for two years and must attend sessions with the domestic abuse rehabilitation service, the Caledonian Mens Programme.
The officer was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and will be electronically tagged and have to stay within his home between 7pm and 7am for the next 12 months.
The sheriff added: “I want to be very clear Mr Tersigni, that if you breach this order in any way I will consider there to be little alternative in imposing a custodial sentence on you.”
Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison, of Police Scotland, said: “PC Tersigni’s actions go against everything Police Scotland stands for. Our thoughts are with the victim in this case and I hope this conviction provides them with some measure of closure.
“I commend their strength in reporting these crimes and bringing this individual to justice. We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer.
“We want the public to be reassured that all reports are thoroughly investigated, no matter when the offending took place or who is involved. All officers are bound by our Standards of Professional Behaviour, which apply on and off duty.
"Any instance where an officer fails to uphold our standards will be investigated and appropriate action taken.
“A report will now be prepared for the Deputy Chief Constable for consideration of misconduct proceedings.”