A former greenkeeper at a St Andrews golf course has been jailed for nearly a decade of rape and sexual abuse.
Craig Slezas, 33, was remanded after being convicted of sexually assaulting four women during an eight-year campaign of offending.
Three of his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were raped.
Slezas, of Castle Street, Crail, had denied a string of charges during a trial.
However, he was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh of 11 offences committed between January 2008 and January 2016.
Judge Lord Arthurson told him: “The jury have convicted you of a course of extremely serious sexual offending against a number of women, including four charges of rape.”
He rejected a motion by defence counsel Neil Murray KC to continue bail for Slezas, who is the main carer for his mother, while a background report is prepared.
The judge told Slezas: “Standing the gravity and scale of today’s conviction and the inevitable substantial custodial disposal that awaits you, your bail order will be revoked and you will be remanded in custody.”
Faced 24 charges
Slezas, who worked as a greenkeeper at the Fairmont Hotel’s course in St Andrews, had faced a total of 24 charges.
Several were withdrawn by the Crown and he was acquitted of two offences following the jury’s verdict.
One of Slezas’ victims told the court of how she felt disgusted by his behaviour.
The 33-year-old told the court he ignored pleas not to have sex while at a house in Fife.
She told prosecutor Peter Ferguson KC: “I told him I wasn’t in the mood.
“He kept on trying but I said I wasn’t interested.”
She said he then raped her.
“I just froze. I started crying.
“He got off me and he asked me why I was crying. I just cried.”
Abduction and assault
Another of Slezas’ victims was a girl he molested in a car in St Andrews when she was 14.
He went on to have unlawful underage sex with her at the town’s Craigtoun park, in a vehicle parked at a layby near Dairsie and at a beach in Fife.
Slezas later shouted and swore at her and sexually assaulted and raped her at a house in Ansthruther on two occasions.
He also abducted another woman between January 1 and December 31 2012 at a house in Crail.
He locked the door, preventing her from leaving and assaulted her by seizing her by the body and grabbing her bag.
He subjected her to a further assault and rape at a house in Cupar during the same period.
Placed on Register
Slezas raped another woman at a house in Fort William in the Highlands in January 2014.
The victim was grabbed by the hair and body and throttled as her throat was compressed during the attack.
He threatened to punch her, pushed her onto a bed and pinned her down before raping her during the assault.
His final crime was committed in January 2016 when he abducted a woman in a car in Methil, as he shouted and acted aggressively, refusing to stop and driving erratically resulting in her hitting the dashboard.
The court heard that the accused originally came from Fort William.
Slezas was placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
He is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on November 8.
