A serial domestic abuser has admitted carrying out a catalogue of attacks on two women over period spanning 14 years, including holding a machete to one woman's throat.

James Gray had denied the offences right up to his trial, forcing his victims to stand in the witness box and recall the violent attacks they suffered at his hands. After hearing their evidence, he admitted seven charges of abuse.

The 39-year-old assaulted Diane Willsden between January 2001 and December 2010, when he attacked her repeatedly at addresses in Perthshire and north east Fife.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard during that period he headbutted her, held his arms against her throat, pinned her against a wall, punched her and poured juice on her face.

In one incident he brandished a knife and threatened to kill Ms Willsden and her son. He also held a machete to her throat.

After their break-up Gray moved on to another victim, Jane Allan. In one sustained assault, Gray launched a brutal attack on her on March 1, 2014, at a cottage in Killiecrankie, Perthshire.

Gray repeatedly pulled her hair and slapped her face before twisting her arm up her back.

Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court: "Doctors indicate some of the injuries to Ms Allan appear to be as a result of her arm being twisted up her back."

He then forced a door open and pushed her into a bath, strangled her, repeatedly smashed her head off the bath, threatened to kill her and repeatedly kicked her arm to her severe injury.

The court was told she broke her arm in two places as a result of the attack. Police were called and Gray was taken in a police car to Perth's police headquarters.

On the journey Gray hurled abuse at the officers, shouting, swearing and threatening them with violence.

Five months later, on August 7, Gray again launched an attack on Ms Allan at an address in Auchtermuchty, Fife despite being banned from contacting her after appearing in court over the earlier attack.

He grabbed her and restrained her by the throat before repeatedly banging her head against a car interior, then dragged her from the car and repeatedly punched her on the body to her severe injury. He attacked Ms Allan a further two times in March 2015.

Gray, of Wood Mill Farm Cottage, Auchtermuchty, Fife, initially denied a total of 11 charges on indictment.

After two days of evidence at his trial he pleaded guilty to seven of the charges, five of assault, one of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and one of breaching bail. Three of the assaults were committed while Gray was on bail.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Gray on bail in the meantime.

Addressing Gray directly, she said: "You inflicted violence on the women in your life over a period of 14 years. In my view this merits a significant custodial sentence."