A MAN who raped and assaulted five women over a 15-year period has been jailed for 10 years.

Robert Dewar, 48, was sentenced for a total of five serious sexual assaults and four attacks on women that endangered their lives.

The High Court in ­Edinburgh heard Dewar, who was also convicted of assaulting a female in Fife by pulling her to the ground by her hair, abused his victims by spitting on them, calling them derogatory names and throttling them.

Ordering Dewar to be supervised for three years after his release from prison, judge Lord Bannatyne said: "You are assessed as being at high risk of re-offending. The offences of which you have been convicted of show an offensive pattern of behaviour.

"Your offending is very significant and can only be dealt by the imposition of a custodial sentence."

Dewar, a prisoner of HMP Saughton, was convicted last month after an eight-day trial at the High Court in Livingston. Sentence had been deferred for reports about his character.

The jury heard Dewar, originally of Lochgelly, Fife, started attacking women in February 1998 and continued until last year.

None of the women can be identified for legal reasons.

Defence advocate Ronnie Renucci told Lord Bannatyne his client still maintained his innocence. He also told the court Dewar had mental health problems.

He added: "He accepts a substantial custodial disposal is inevitable. He had an unhappy relationship with his mother and the things that he had witnessed as a child. He could benefit from counselling."

Lord Bannatyne also placed Dewar on the Sex Offenders Register for life.