A man has been found guilty of raping and assaulting two women, including subjecting a pregnant woman to a horrific attack.

Duncan Begg, 43, had been on trial for dozens of alleged offences against women and children at the High Court in Aberdeen.

He was claimed to have raped three women and carried out lewd acts on three children during a 26-year period while living in the Wick area.

Begg, of Skye, denied the offences and claimed all sexual contact he had with the women was consensual.

Jurors yesterday found him guilty of eight offences relating to two of the women.

One of his victims was subjected to a horrific ­indecent assault when she was pregnant in 1991. Begg banged her head, further assaulted her and threatened to remove her unborn child.

He attacked the woman on another occasion, when she was not pregnant, by repeatedly punching her on the face and burning her breast with a cigarette.

He poured a bottle of whisky over her face and raped her.

Begg attacked another woman the previous year by seizing her by the hair and dragging her into a kitchen. Her clothes were removed and she was forced outside naked before he raped her.

The jury of seven men and eight women found Begg guilty of eight charges by a majority verdict.

Judge Morris described the case as very distressing and thanked them for their service.

Begg originally faced 43 charges relating to lewd behaviour against children, rapes, indecent assaults and attacks on three women at the start of the trial two weeks ago, but several were dropped.

Begg was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.