Police officer's five years of racist and sectarian abuse

 October 20, 2023

Police officer’s five years of racist and sectarian abuse against colleagues

  • He also made misogynistic remarks about female officers
  • Sentence deferred after he pleads guilty to several offences 

A police officer embarked on a five-year campaign of sectarian and racist abuse towards colleagues.

Kyle Cruickshank made the comments while working from Glasgow’s Maryhill police station between 2017 and 2022.

The 32-year-old called a constable of Asian descent a ‘curry muncher’ and referred to Catholics as ‘Fenian b*******’.

He was known to ask for colleagues’ ­surnames to see if they sounded Catholic and said Catholic potential victims of crime would ‘get the jail’. 

He also made misogynistic remarks about female colleagues.

Cruickshank, who has now left force, abused colleagues over several years

Cruickshank pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to pursuing a racially aggravated course of conduct towards an officer.

He further admitted behaving in a ­threatening or abusive manner aggravated by religious prejudice. 

Cruickshank – who has since left Police Scotland after six years – also pleaded guilty to assaulting a female officer.

Father-of-one Cruickshank made racist comments such as Pakistani people being ‘dirty’, the court heard. 

The officer worked from Maryhill Police station in Glasgow

He also made the ‘curry muncher’ remark towards colleague Safdar Sadiq when he took food to work.

Cruickshank referred to Mr Sadiq and Jewish colleague Barnaby Rose abusively. 

Prosecutor Louise James said: ‘The ­comment was about throwing cash on the floor and seeing who would pick it up.’

The pair would avoid coming into the police station at certain times to avoid Cruickshank. 

Ms James added: ‘Cruickshank also made comments such as “I hate Catholics” and “dirty Fenian b*******”.’ 

He also said women ‘belong in the kitchen’ and called some female officers ‘wee dirties’.

Officer Rachel Kerr was sprayed on the face with hand sanitiser by Cruickshank while in the police reporting room. Matters were investigated after she reported him.

Sentence was deferred on the first offender. Chief Superintendent Catriona Henderson said Cruickshank’s conduct ‘fell well below the expected high standards of professionalism that the public rightly demands from policing’.

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