A MAN found guilty of a catalogue of brutal violence and sexual assaults on women over a quarter of a century has been jailed for seven years.

Graham Young, 50, punched one woman in the stomach when she was pregnant, did the same to another woman he believed to be pregnant and a third victim had a knife held to her neck during a vicious attack.

The offences against six women took place at various addresses in Dunfermline, Kelty, East Wemyss and other locations in Fife between 1991 and this year.

Young was sentenced today at the High Court in Edinburgh where judge Lord Woolman said that he had no option but to send him to prison.

He added: “The sentence will be one of seven years.”

Young, now of Church Street, Kirkcaldy, was found guilty of seven charges after a trial lasting eight days at the High Court in Dunfermline last month.

On various occasions between October 1, 1991 and July 31, 2002, in Dunfermline, Halbeath and East Wemyss, he assaulted a woman by punching and striking her on the head and body, grabbing her hair, seizing her by the neck and compressing it, restricting her breathing and causing her to lose consciousness.

He cut her hair, struck her with a bicycle, threw a bottle at her, threatened her with violence, held a knife against her face and body, cut the clothing she was wearing with a knife, pinned her down, kicked her on the head and body, demanded and seized money from her and on one occasion, when she was pregnant, he punched her on the stomach and smashed her mobile phone to prevent her seeking medical attention, all to her injury and the danger of her life.

On an occasion between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2003, in Dunfermline, he shouted, swore, made threats to a woman, placing her and another woman in a state of fear and alarm.

On an occasion between February 2 and December 31, 2004, at Skye Road, Dunfermline, he assaulted a woman by shouting, swearing and attempting to punch her.

On various occasions between January 1 and September 3, 2008, at a location near to Dunfermline bus station, The Commercial Inn in Douglas Street, and elsewhere, he assaulted another woman by throwing a drink over her, seized her by the hair, caused her to strike her head and face on the floor, smashed her mobile phone and held a knife against her neck, all to her injury.

On various occasions between June 1 and July 31, 2015 at Broomhead Drive and Foundry Street, Dunfermline, he assaulted another woman, seized her by the wrists, pulled her, shouted at her, pushed her against a wall and, whilst he believed her to be pregnant, pushed her into a radiator, causing her to strike her head and body, pinned her down, pushed his knee into her stomach and punched her stomach.

On various occasions between June 8, 2016 and January 25, at an address in Dunfermline he made indecent remarks to another woman and on one occasion sexually assaulted her by handling her breasts over her clothing.

On January 25 in Dunfermline, he sexually assaulted the same woman.

After the jury delivered the verdict, the Court was told Young had served previous jail terms for domestic assaults.

He was placed on the sex offenders’ register and sentence deferred until today for reports.

Defence advocate Neil Murray QC told Lord Woolman that his client had learning difficulties and was estranged from his family.

Mr Murray added: “He hasn’t spoken to a member of his family for the past 18 years. He is completely isolated and only has one friend in the world.”