A man raped a woman more than 900 times, dropped a hair dryer into her bath and pushed her down stairs has been jailed for life.

Brian McTaggart was sentenced for sexually and physically abusing 18 victims in Dundee.

The 53-year-old will not be eligible for parole for eight years.

On one occasion he raped the woman in front of a child and another time he pushed his victim over a barrier.

Another rape victim, now aged 43, was choked and then had her head forced under water by McTaggart.

A third was raped on four occasions as she slept and when she woke up and said no, McTaggart carried on raping her.

He told his victims: "You belong to me. I can do anything I want."

Sentencing McTaggart, Lord Mulholland said: "You repeatedly raped three of your partners and wives and in the case of one of your wives this happened more than 900 times over a six-year marriage.

"One of the rapes occurred when she returned from maternity hospital having had a baby.

"She was in pain but you proceeded to rape her.

"You told her that you should not have to go without sex because 'she had a bairn'."

The judge added: "You sexually assaulted many of your victims whilst they were asleep.

"You repeatedly took advantage of young boys and men who were sleeping in the same house as you.

"After the relationship with one of your partners had ended, the same pattern of offending was repeated on your next partner.

"You said in evidence that you gave many of the victims a hard life. Quite frankly that is a gross understatement.

"You treated your former partners and wives as chattels and punchbags.

"You sought to coerce and control them and as a result of your conduct their confidence and self-worth was damaged.

"You beat them into submission."

McTaggart was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow for all the offences at addresses in Dundee between 1980 and 2001.

This included the rape of three women. He also indecently assaulted teenage girls and boys and physically abused other women and teenagers.

Not proven verdicts were returned for charges of raping a fourth woman and a 30-year-old man.

McTaggart's violence included battering a woman near Christmas because she wore his Dundee United top and poked people in the eyes in what he claimed was a wrestling move.

Inspector Muriel Fuller added: "The result today would not have been possible without the assistance and bravery of McTaggart's previous partners, children and others who suffered at his hands.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their bravery which ultimately led to bringing him to justice today."