A man repeatedly raped and assaulted a teenage girl and two women over almost two decades.

Gary Gallagher, 34, committed the offences between 1995 and 2012 at addresses in East Dunbartonshire and Ayrshire.

He was just 13 when he began abusing his first victim, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Judge Lady Scott imposed an order for lifelong restriction on the rapist and warned him he faced imprisonment for an indefinite period.

She ordered Gallagher to serve at least five years in jail but told him he would only be freed when it was considered it was no longer necessary for the protection of the public that he be confined in prison.

Gallagher will also be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Lady Scott told him: "You have been convicted on 25 charges, involving three victims, which constituted a very serious and sustained course of conduct consisting of physical and sexual violence.

"You have no remorse. You blame your victims and you do not care about the harm you have inflicted. You take no responsibility. You have apparently no wish to change."

The judge said that Gallagher was only concerned with himself and had been assessed as posing a high risk of reoffending.

During his trial, a jury heard Gallagher raped and physically assaulted three women, with some still bearing scars from the violence.

His first victim, who was aged 14 when the violence started, said when police contacted her over her earlier involvement with Gallagher she felt "fear come flooding back" and had to go to her doctor for support and medication.

She said she had felt she was 14 years old again and "a terrified, tormented young girl".

Detective inspector Gillian Faulds, who led the investigation that snared Gallagher, said: "Gary Gallacher is a very dangerous individual who carried out a campaign of violence on three partners who will no doubt be affected by the experience for the rest of their lives.

"Some of his attacks were so violent that he left the women with permanent scarring.

"Despite the horrific abuse the women suffered at the hands of Gallacher, they managed to find the strength to speak to police and testify in court to ensure that he was held to account for his actions.

"I would like to thank the women for their bravery in coming forward because without their support we would not be where we are today and Gallacher would still be free."