Wishaw man jailed for 17-year campaign of terror against four women

One of Scotland's worst abusers of women has been handed a lengthy jail terms. John Dickson (38) was slammed by the judge as he was locked up for horrific sexual and domestic violence.

The ex-labourer carried out a 17 year-old reign of abuse against four women.

The first victim recalled being “in tears” as Dickson regularly raped her.

She said: “I would say to him: 'No, I don't want to.”

Detailing the extent of the attacks, prosecutor Duncan McPhie told jurors: “This all occurred on a number of occasions - three to four times a week between 2000 and 2005.”

Dickson went on to rape and abuse another woman - and even tormented her with his large Boa Constrictor snake called Mitch.

This victim recalled feeling “uncomfortable” around it - before Dickson used the pet to assault her.

The traumatised woman said: “He chucked on me a couple of times I was terrified.”

The sex attacks were so regular - sometimes when she was asleep - they ended up feeling “normal”.

This included Dickson raping her on a train to Edinburgh. He forced her over the sink in the toilet, locked the door and had sex with her.

He carried out a similar attack at the home of his sister.

Dickson then pounced on her close to the River Clyde in Muirhouse, Lanarkshire.

Jurors heard she was often battered, spat on and branded names such as “slut”.

The woman recalled one attack when she was “punched from head to toe for over an hour”.

Cheating Dickson also fathered a child with another woman while dating her.

Two other partners were further victims of Dickson's ferocious temper.

One was so scared of him she was found cowering in a storage cupboard close to his flat.

Mr McPhie said: “She told a policeman that he had assaulted her.

“She told him she had a knife in her hands because she was scared of Dickson.”

Dickson - who maintains his innocence - was found guilty of five charges including rape and domestic abuse.

The crimes took place mainly in Motherwell, Lanarkshire between 2000 and 2017.

Judge Graeme Buchanan said the women had suffered “degrading and humiliating” ordeals.

He told Dickson: “This was a course of criminal conduct of a quite extreme nature and you have shown no remorse whatsoever.”

Dickson will be monitored for four years after his release.