A man has appeared in court accused of raping and attempting to murder a series of women over the course of almost 30 years.
Paul Hill is also alleged to have carried out a string of attacks on a total of 10 women in Aberdeen and Dundee between 1987 and 2015.
It is alleged he raped six of his victims — some on more than one occasion.
Prosecutors also say he tried to murder four of the women named in the charges.
Hill is said to have targeted his first victim in Aberdeen between January 1 1987 and March 23 1988 — allegedly subjecting her to assaults, abducting and attempting to murder her by strangling her on a bed until she was unconscious.
He is also accused of raping her on “various occasions” in 1987 at the Aberdeen address and again in 1988 at an address in Dundee.
Hill is alleged to have attacked a second woman by strangling her in 1988 and a third is alleged to have been raped by Hill in 1990, both in Aberdeen — with him also facing three charges of assaults on the third woman.
Hill’s fourth alleged victim is said to have been targeted at addresses in Aberdeen city centre, with the 52-year-old, of Kings Park Drive, Ayr, allegedly assaulting her in the street on one occasion, detaining her against her will on another and raping her on a third in 1998.
A fifth woman is said to have been assaulted by Hill twice — one allegedly involving a dumbbell being thrown at her head at an address in Dundee.
A sixth woman is also alleged to have been assaulted at the same address.
Prosecutors say that “on various occasions” in 2001 Hill attempted to murder a seventh woman – again by allegedly strangling and raping her.
Hill faces a total of 10 charges allegedly committed against an eighth woman — including attempted murder by striking her head against a fireplace, strangling her and three rapes.
He is also accused of attempting to murder a ninth woman by strangling her, and of raping a tenth woman on various occasions between July 1 2014 and July 31 2015.
Solicitor Ross Donnelly made no plea at the sheriff court and the case was continued for further examination.
Sheriff John Rafferty remanded Hill in custody pending a further hearing next week.
