Detective Chief Inspector Sam McCluskey, from the DATF, was commenting after Gerry McMurray was sentenced on Friday at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Det Ch Insp McCluskey said, "Gerry McMurray has been proven to be a callous, violent and unremorseful individual who used intimidation and fear to get away with these offences for almost 20-years.

“He was subject of a robust investigation by the DATF but it is as a result of the evidence provided by his victims, who demonstrated great courage in coming forward, that he has been stopped.

“McMurray will now spend several years behind bars and his sentence is testament to the joint commitment of Police Scotland and the Crown Office in bringing those responsible for crimes of this nature to justice.” At the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, McMurray was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years and given a lifelong restriction order following the rape, indecent assault and assault of 12 women during a 16-year period, from January 1997 to July 2013.

The 34-year-old had previously been in a relationship with each of these women and carried out the crimes at a number of addresses throughout Fife, including Dunfermline, Rosyth, Kelty and Lochgelly.

In addition, a further eight individuals, including some family members, were also identified as victims.

Following an investigation by the DATF, McMurray was charged with a total of 33 offences and was convicted in September 2014.

Judge Lady Wise imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction for what she called an “appalling course of criminal conduct”.