A man is to stand trial accused of subjecting his partner to almost 20 years of horrendous abuse.
Robert McPherson is alleged to have repeatedly assaulted Lesley McKean between July 1995 and March 2015 at addresses across south-west Fife.
McPherson is said to have repeatedly struck her on the face, dragged her around, spat on her face, repeatedly kicked her on the body and dragged her by the hair.
Prosecutors say he also brandished a knife at her, threatened to stab her, held a knife to her throat and repeatedly threatened to kill her.
McPherson is further alleged to have hit her with a golf club, put her in a headlock and restricted her breathing all to her injury.
Further charges allege he breached the peace by uttering offensive comments, stabbing a knife into a window sill, threatened violence to two children and threatened to kill them.
A third charge accuses McPherson of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by uttering threat of violence while a fourth claims he assaulted a girl, then aged between 10 and 15, by repeatedly striking her on the body and slapping her on the face.
A final charge alleges that between April 2007 and December 2014 he assaulted a second girl, aged between 10 and 14 and repeatedly struck her on the body and slapped her on the face.
McPherson, 42, of Balbedie Avenue, Lochore, pleaded not guilty on indictment to three charges of assault, one of breach of the peace and one of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Defence solicitor Sara Smith told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court: “We are still chasing potential defence witnesses.”
Fiscal depute Beverly Adam added: “There are further enquiries that would be useful to both the Crown and defence.”
Sheriff Grant McCulloch adjourned the trial to a jury sitting in July at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
