A WOMAN claimed that she was sexually assaulted by a British Transport Police officer on a works Christmas night out.

The woman stated she was groped by Ryan Tierney, 39, in Glasgow city centre's Maggie Mays pub on December 9, 2016.

She claimed that Tierney, of Falkirk, ran his hand down her back and touched her on the bottom.

The BTP office employee added that Tierney then slid his hand further forward and touched her in a more intimate area.

The woman claimed that she did not report the matter due to a negative culture towards "grassing" colleagues at BTP.

However, she stated that she came forward six years later after learning that Tierney was to receive an award for promoting his female colleagues and dealing with domestic violence.

Tierney is on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court accused of sexually assaulting the woman.

He is also accused of a second sexual assault against another woman by handling her buttocks at a city centre pub in 2014.

The court heard that the woman's team at BTP were invited to the work night out organised by the CID team.

The group of 40 to 50 had dinner around 3pm at an Italian restaurant before heading to nearby Maggie Mays.

When giving evidence, the woman claimed that she saw Tierney sitting alone at a table.

She claimed that she gave him a glass of water which "perked him up a bit."

The woman said that she and colleagues chatted with Tierney.

Prosecutor Jacqui Wall asked the witness what happened to her.

She replied: "I was sat next to Ryan at the time - he was stroking my back.

"His hand then went down my back and touched my bottom and also further forward."

The woman added that Tierney touched her in an intimate area.

She said: "At that point, I shifted in my seat and I looked up to my colleagues across the room then mouthed 'help'.

"At that point, they rushed at the table and said everyone was heading to Stepps Bar and whisked me away from the bar."

Miss Wall asked how Tierney was known to her and she replied: "I didn't know him, he had worked in the same building as me.

"He was previously part of the CID - it was their night out. I did know him from work."

The woman claimed she was "shocked" by the incident and initially spoke to an inspector about what happened.

However, the woman did not formally make a report at the time.

The woman sent an email to her superiors about not wanting matters to proceed against Tierney in order to "protect myself."

She said: "I was scared about what happened, I felt the attitude at the time wasn't good.

"A lot of the time you heard 'suck it up princess' and there was chat about not grassing other employees and things like that."

The woman claimed six years later in 2022 she became aware that Tierney was to receive a 'HeForShe' award.

She said: "I didn't think that it was appropriate after what happened."

Miss Wall: "Is that why you made a complaint to professional standards?"

The woman: "Yes and it also came to my attention that he was due to be going to a diversity and inclusion conference.

"Ryan did not attend the ceremony for women police awards where he was due to receive the award.

"I thought he was going to be given the award at the conference I was attending and I asked that the award wasn't presented."

Sarah Livingstone, defending, stated to the woman that Tierney was "the officer" involved in dealing with disciplinary proceedings on her partner.

The woman refuted a suggestion by the advocate that there was "bad blood" between Tierney and her partner.

The trial continues in August before Sheriff Joanne McDonald.