A JURY trial for a man facing allegations of assaulting and abusing women dating back to the turn of the century is set to go ahead next month.

Colin McIver is accused of punching one female in the stomach while she was pregnant, as well as holding a machete at her neck and throwing a chair at her.

The 51-year-old is said to have attacked the first alleged victim on various occasions between May 1999 and September 2000 at properties in Greenock and Port Glasgow.

It is claimed he repeatedly seized her by the neck and compressed it, held her against a wall and a door, dragged her by the hair, knocked her to the floor, punched and kicked her on the body and struck her with a bottle causing her to fall to the ground.

Court papers allege McIver also shouted and swore at the woman and uttered threatening and abusive remarks to her, placing her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety.

Prosecutors claim that some time between September 2000 and February 2002 at a property in Greenock, McIver assaulted a different woman when he allegedly threw a hoover at her.

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A third charge claims that on various occasions between August 2019 and February 2020, at another property in Greenock and elsewhere, McIver was abusive towards a separate female who is now deceased.

It is said that he repeatedly called her derogatory and abusive names, pushed her down onto a couch, pinned her down and repeatedly seized her by the neck and compressed it, restricting her breathing.

McIver is further alleged to have obtained money for bills and used it for his own purposes leaving the woman in debt, while it is said he refused to contribute financially to the running of the household and repeatedly demanded money from her.

The charge adds that he pushed her by the head or neck causing her to fall onto a table and strike her head, while he also struck her head with his hand, threatened her with violence, demanded she wear certain clothing, and placed her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety all to her injury.

McIver, of Mill Street, maintained his not guilty pleas to the indictment charges through solicitor Paul Keenan.

He will return to Greenock Sheriff Court for trial on August 28.