Fife rapist who targeted vulnerable women jailed for 10 years

A predatory rapist from Fife who was branded "a complete monster" by a victim has been jailed for 10 years after targeting vulnerable women.

Neil Ireland carried out a string of sex attacks on victims and even raped one woman while she was in bed with her baby daughter.

The 39-year-old was led off to jail from the dock at the High Court in Edinburgh to calls of "scumbag".

A judge told him: "It was, in my opinion, correctly stated by the Crown at your trial that you were a predator who befriended and exploited vulnerable women by taking advantage of them sexually, not caring whether they consented to what you did to them."

Lord Uist said: "Moreover, it was clear to me you considered you were entitled to act as you did and you have shown no remorse or regret."

The judge said a background report prepared on Ireland revealed that he used denial, minimisation and blame and portrayed himself as the victim.

Lord Uist said: "You were convicted by the jury of a total of six charges involving sexual violence against four separate women. Three of those charges involved repeated rapes of two of the women."

He told the sex offender: "Today you have to pay the price for your criminal conduct."

The judge told rapist that if he had a criminal record for any kind of violence he would have faced a longer prison term.

Ireland, a handyman, formerly of Methil, had earlier denied committing the sex crimes of rape and indecent assault, but was found guilty of offences committed between 2008 and 2015. The crimes took place at houses in Cupar, Methil and Leven.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said Ireland was a first offender who had demonstrated in the past that he had "an excellent work ethic".

He said Ireland intended to co-operate with the authorities while serving his prison sentence and would take part in offender programmes.

Ireland will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely following his sentencing.