A repeat Dundee domestic abuser who used social work threats to blackmail a woman has been released from custody after serving the equivalent of a three and a half year prison sentence.
For months, William Petrie tormented the woman – who he was banned from contacting – and even got associates to call her on his behalf when he was remanded in HMP Perth.
He admitted a campaign of abuse and breaching strict non-harassment orders at Dundee Sheriff Court.
On Monday, he was brought back to court to be sentenced.
Sheriff Gregor Murray imposed a high-end community payback order.
The sheriff explained any prison sentence he imposed would have had to be backdated significantly due to the length of time Petrie has spent on remand.
Conditions of liberty
Petrie must adhere to two years of supervision, 200 hours of unpaid work and a requirement to complete the Caledonian Men’s Project for domestic abusers.
A fresh non-harassment order, protecting Petrie’s victim for three years, was also imposed.
He must declare any relationships to his supervising officer, along with any women he speaks to on social media.
His order will be reviewed in three months.
Sheriff Murray said: “I’ll be clear to you, you are on a very short leash.”
In May 2021, Petrie, 27, was given a strict court order not to have any contact with his former partner, or attempt to do so.
This was issued as he was jailed for a campaign of abuse which included phoning her more than 100 times in a day and sending her a photograph of himself on a bridge after threatening suicide.
He regained his liberty and resumed contact with the woman, tricking her into speaking to him in sight of CCTV cameras and warning the footage could compromise access to her child if social workers saw it.
Over the next three months, he resumed a campaign of abuse, including threatening to crash a car while giving her a lift.
Prison calls
At the end of August, Petrie had a confrontation with the woman’s family at a property in Monifieth.
After calling her offensive names, he presented a metal pole outside the property and challenged a male relative of hers to fight.
Just over a week later, he pushed the woman to the ground in a fit of rage and placed both hands on her throat.
Police were contacted and Petrie was remanded at Perth Prison.
However, he continued to bombard the woman with unwanted contact through associates.
From December until January, she received a string of messages from different people asking her to contact the accused.
Some of these came from complete strangers and others from known associates of Petrie.
‘Harrowing narrative’
He appeared from custody in October to admit the campaign of abuse, acting threateningly in Monifieth and breaching his non-harassment order both inside and outside of jail.
The sheriff then told him: “You’ve just heard a harrowing narrative of facts.
“It’s hard to imagine a more sustained campaign.”
In 2019, Petrie wept in the dock as he was jailed for a domestic assault and later breaching bail conditions to steer clear of the then-teenager.
