A VIOLENT rapist who subjected three women to sexual assaults more than two decades ago was jailed for seven years today.

A judge told 53-year-old Charles Connell: "Custody is the only appropriate disposal, having regard to the serious nature of the offending."

Judge Alison Stirling said at the High Court in Edinburgh that she noted that his criminal conduct occurred "many years ago".

She told Connell, of Knightswood, that she accepted he had suffered adverse childhood experiences, including the unexpected death of his father when he was aged 13.

The judge noted that he has a number of physical health problems and added: "You also suffer from anxiety and depression and complex PTSD."

Connell, of Lincoln Avenue, had denied a series of charges at an earlier trial but was convicted of two offences of rape and an indecent assault against women.

He was also found guilty of two offences of assault against two of the women and a further assault against a man.

His offending began in 1988 and continued to 2002 and was committed at addresses in Knightswood, Kelvinbridge, Drumchapel and Springburn.

One woman was subjected to repeated rapes by Connell and during the sexual violence she was choked and grabbed by the hair and pulled to the ground.

The court heard that he became angry with one victim for not cooking to his level and "failing to meet the standards he set".

She was repeatedly attacked and subjected to slaps, punches and kicks. She was also threatened with a knife and knocked unconscious.

The third woman was subjected to a sex attack by Connell after he threw her onto a bed and held her down.

The male victim of Connell's violence had to undergo surgery under a general anaesthetic after he was punched in the face and suffered a fractured cheekbone.

Prosecutor Lorraince Glancy KC told jurors at his trial: "There is clear evidence that, to some people, he could be a bully and a manipulator."

Defence counsel Drew Mckenzie said Connell was "effectively a first offender" who had committed several of the offences when he was under 25.

He said: "Since these offences the accused has not been convicted of any offence at all."

Mr Mckenzie said: "From the age of 15 or 16 until the age of 43 he was in full-time employment and able to contribute to society in a meaningful way for that period of time."

Connell was told that he will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following his sentencing.