Facing prison, PC who begged vulnerable teen to cover up their affair

A POLICE officer who began a sexual relationship with a teenager after she reported alleged crimes is facing a lengthy jail sentence.

PC Gavin Donaldson, 45, was part of the team tasked with investigating the allegations made by Anisha Yaseen, who was 17 at the time.

During the investigation, the married constable started a romantic affair with the vulnerable woman. After his behaviour was probed by Police Scotland’s anti-corruption unit, he begged Ms Yaseen to delete all communication between them and not to hand her phone to officers.

Donaldson pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice over two days in November 2020. Prosecutor Joanna Waller said the disgraced constable, from the Jewel area of the city, and Ms Yaseen were in ‘daily contact over four years’ and exchanged 28,133 social media messages between them. The fiscal depute said Donaldson and Ms Yaseen were in ‘a consensual sexual relationship’ that did not involve sexual intercourse.

The court heard a police investigation uncovered the pair’s relationship in November 2020 and father-of-one Donaldson then called Ms Yaseen begging her to delete the messages and not to hand over her mobile phone. He was suspended from duties on November 25, 2020, and later resigned from the force.

Sheriff Douglas Keir told Donaldson ‘careful consideration will be given to all sentencing options’. He was released on bail and sentence was deferred to next month.

Speaking after the court case, Ms Yaseen, who waived her right to anonymity, said: ‘I am a product of failed systems in Scotland. Systems designed to keep me safe and healthy – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

‘Four years ago, I had a man who I believed took care of me, protected me, guided me and loved me. Two-and-a-half years ago, I had my world turned upside down by Police Scotland’s anti-corruption unit.

‘To know that he has admitted his guilt is, to me, his confirmation that the stable period in my life was a lie.’