A MAN who raped a woman then pulled out her teeth with pliers during a horrific campaign of domestic abuse has been handed a life sentence.

Donald Jeffrey was ordered to serve at least 10 years behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder, five counts of rape and a series of assaults.

In one of the most appalling cases of domestic abuse, a jury heard how he repeatedly raped a woman, tried to drown her in a freezing bath and threatened to throw her out a 17th-floor window.

He also dropped heavy dumb-bells onto her body after demanding she lie on the ground. He later used pliers to pull the woman's teeth from her mouth then made her pose, smiling, in front of a mirror.

The woman was subjected to a number of attacks from 2008 until 2014. The High Court in Glasgow heard he had also abused another woman, raping her and assaulting her between 1994 and 1998.

Jeffrey, 44, was convicted of a total of 13 charges following a harrowing trial at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year.

Yesterday at the High Court in Paisley, judge Lord Matthews imposed an order for lifelong restriction on Jeffrey - who denied the allegations - meaning he will be supervised for the rest of his life after being released from prison.

He was ordered to serve 10 years behind bars for his "appalling offences" before being eligible for parole and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

Passing sentence, the judge told Jeffrey: "You were found guilty of a catalogue of appalling offences against two vulnerable women who had the misfortune to be your partners.

"The relationships were characterised by jealousy, serious violence and rape.

"You dominated the lives of these women and subjected them to extreme emotional and physical cruelty as well as sexual aggression."

He added: "It is obvious you are a very dangerous man and it is my duty to protect the public from you for as long as you are able to lift a finger, I propose therefore to make an order for lifelong restriction."

The first victim who testified against Jeffrey told the court she had suffered regularly at his hands since they started dating in 2008.

The woman did not speak to police until last year and tried to cover up the abuse by making claims such as being involved in bike accidents.

Speaking about one attack in June last year, she said he raped her at his home in Maryhill, Glasgow, and pulled out her teeth after accusing her of "talking to other men".

The 47 year-old recalled "hoping for the best" and that she would "come out alive".

The victim told the jury: "He had threatened before to take my teeth out with pliers.

"I was hoping to god that he would not do this. But, when I gave him them, he did not need to ask me to open my mouth...I just stood there.

"I did not even want to think what would happen if I refused - I was not taking the chance.

"He then started - pliers in, pull...pliers in, pull. I could hear my teeth falling onto the wooden floor."

The trial heard Jeffrey then demanded she look in the bathroom mirror.

She recalled: "He was saying: 'oh, you look good now' and 'give me a smile'."

The trial also heard from another victim of Jeffrey's, who he met in the mid-1990s.

The 44-year-old was raped and assaulted by Jeffrey, who made her "feel guilty" about stepping out the front door.

She recalled: "He was not the person I thought he was. He was controlling. If I did something like wash my hair, I was accused of going to see someone."

He once smashed her arm with a martial arts weapon while she was heavily pregnant.

She also gave a harrowing account of how she watched helplessly as Jeffrey repeatedly hit a young boy.

Jeffrey was found guilty of eight charges against one victim between 2008 and 2014. These were attempted murder, three rapes and four assaults.

He was also convicted of five offences on the other woman - two rapes, indecent assault and two assaults - between 1994 and 1998.

After the verdicts the jury heard that Jeffrey already had three high court convictions. He was previously jailed for robbery, firearms offences and drug crimes.