A SERIAL Greenock rapist who seriously sexually assaulted women victims during a period spanning ten years is finally behind bars today.

Andrew Stewart began his catalogue of offending in 2009 — when he was aged 18 — and committed his final crime in 2018.

As well as committing a series of rapes, Stewart, 31, also carried out other sexual assaults involving forced and violent sex acts.

Stewart carried out his crimes at addresses in Gourock, Greenock, Paisley and Glasgow.

A High Court jury found him guilty of a total of five indictment charges.

He sexually assaulted one victim twice — in 2009 and again in 2011.

On another occasion he straddled the woman, repeatedly pinned her hands above her head, removed her lower clothing and raped her in Greenock shortly before Christmas in 2011.

Greenock Telegraph:

Stewart committed his second rape against another woman at a business premises in Glasgow in 2016.

He was found guilty of a further charge which stated that on various occasions between 2017 and 2018 he sexually assaulted and raped a woman whilst she was asleep and incapable of giving or withholding consent.

Stewart had also been accused of assaulting a woman in Greenock by seizing her and holding her in front of him and causing her to be struck by another man, however, he was found not guilty on this charge.

The jury also cleared him of another alleged rape and three other alleged sexual assaults which were alleged to have been committed in 2018 and 2019.

Stewart — who has no previous convictions — was represented at the High Court in Paisley by instructing solicitor Paul Keenan and advocate Simon Gilbride.

He was remanded in custody at the conclusion of his trial on Monday.

A sentencing hearing is due to take place on August 28.