The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Man jailed for waging campaign of abuse on female victims
Women were raped and assaulted over a period of five-anda-half years
A vile serial abuser who repeatedly raped and physically assaulted two women has been jailed for eight years.
Despicable Michael Stuart, 27, preyed on the two females, who cannot be named for legal reasons, over a five-anda-half-year period at addresses in Inverness and Kirkcaldy.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Stuart started physically abusing his first victim in November 2006.
He then repeatedly raped her on various occasions between March 2007 and December 2007.
In October 2008, Stuart started to assault another woman. He continued to attack her until May 2012.
Stuart, who has previous convictions for assault and abduction, then waited almost two years before raping her sometime between November 1 2011 and December 31 2011.
The story emerged last month following a week-long trial before judge Lady Scott.
Stuart, of Burntisland, had denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to a total of seven charges. Prosecutors withdrew two of the charges during proceedings.
After spending three hours deliberating their verdict, jurors returned guilty verdicts to the five remaining charges of rape and assault.
During proceedings, prosecution lawyer Mark McGuire told jurors how Stuart started abusing his first victim when she was a 17-year-old expectant mum in November 2006.
The assaults, which took place at addresses in Inverness, continued until January 2008.
Mr McGuire told the court how Stuart would seize her by the throat, hold her against a wall and would repeatedly punch and kick her on the body during the attacks.
On one occasion, the court heard how Stuart used a knife to cut the woman’s clothing. He also called her derogatory names.
The advocate depute said that following the first sexual attack, he later went on and “raped her again, again and again”.
The woman told the court that she plucked up enough courage to give evidence after police investigating Stuart’s behaviour contacted her.
The court also heard from Stuart’s second victim who was also a teenager when she first met him.
The female, who is now a 27-year-old mum of two, told the court she was 18 when she met the accused.
She said Stuart could be charming and then angry within a few short moments.
Making reference to the book written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, the woman added: “He was like Jekyll and Hyde.”
During her evidence, she described one incident in which Stuart held her down on a bed.
She said: “He pushed me down on to the bed and pinned me down.
“He pinned my arms down at my wrists.”
Following conviction, Mr McGuire told Lady Scott that Stuart had convictions for violence, hamesucken (breaking into a house and assaulting householder), abduction and attempting to pervert the course of justice.