A former businessman has been jailed for 12 years over a campaign of violence, rape and sexual abuse towards children and women over 25 years.

John Foley, 71, of Hurlford in East Ayrshire, had earlier stood trial facing 21 charges. He was convicted of 13 of them, including rape, assault and indecent behaviour between June 1968 and March 1993.

One girl was raped between the age of eight and 11 by Foley in Ayrshire after he took off her clothes and covered her face with a pillow during occasions between 1973 and 1976.

Foley also assaulted a different child when she was aged between one and three and grabbed her by the hair and swung her round in the air.

The former businessman exposed himself to another girl when she was aged five or six. He also carried out sex acts on a girl from the age of about nine and threatened to kill her mother if she revealed his abuse.

He also repeatedly struck and punched a boy and hit him with a belt and held his hand in the flame of a lit gas cooker, burning him to his severe injury.

The pensioner assaulted another girl who was repeatedly punched in the face, grabbed by the hair and kicked and hit with a belt.

Another girl was made to undress while he watched indecent videos and forced to take part in sex acts. She was grabbed by the hair an dragged into a bedroom and repeatedly punched and kicked.

Foley also attacked two former partners, both of whom were repeatedly punched and kicked during assaults.

Defence counsel Derick Nelson told the court Foley maintained the position he took at trial in denying the offence.

He said Foley realised a prison sentence would be imposed on him but added he had difficulty understanding how he would cope. The defence counsel said Foley had worked throughout the years which included running his own business.

The offending ended in 1993 and there has been no repetition since then, he said.

The lawyer added: "He is 71 and any sentence of any length will have a profound effect upon him."

A judge, however, told Foley there was no alternative to a substantial jail term.

Lord Kinclaven said: "You have no previous convictions. You are, effectively, a first offender in relation to these matters and have no outstanding matters."

He added: "The court requires to mark the seriousness of the offences. You have been found guilty by the verdict of the jury of a catalogue of serious offences."

The pensioner was jailed for 12 years and placed on the sex offenders register.

Jennifer Harrower, procurator fiscal for the West of Scotland said: "John Foley was convicted of a catalogue of serious, violent and sexual offences after the jury accepted the evidence of witnesses who described how they suffered at his hands over a near 25 year-period.

"Where victims of sexual crimes, whenever they were committed, come forward and report them they will be treated with professionalism and sensitivity by the police and our expert prosecutors and we will do all in our power to deliver justice."