A Scots serial rapist has been caged for nine years after raping a Church of Scotland minister during a string of horror attacks.
Derek Adams was sentenced to nine years at the High Court in Edinburgh today for his vile crime spree that left victims traumatised.
The offences occurred over a 30-year period between 1985 and 2016, in the Fife, West Lothian and Dunfermline areas involving five victims.
The 59-year-old was found guilty earlier this month of raping two women, attempting to rape a third and indecently assaulting a fourth over more than 20 years.
A jury also found the physiotherapist, from Dunfermline, guilty of physically assaulting four women and two children and of threatening or abusive behaviour towards one woman.
The minister, who asked not to be named, said she has forgiven Adams but that she will never forget what he did.
She says she was swept off her feet by Adams at 17.
He helped her with her CV and she got a broadcasting job and, when she was just 20, they married.
But before the wedding there were warning signs. She said: “To be fair, I had a fiery temper too.
"But he violently slapped me.”
Reacting to Adams' sentence today, Detective Inspector Craig Fraser, said: “It takes an enormous amount of courage for victims to speak out.
" I am extremely grateful to them for their faith in us and for having the confidence to speak to us about the abuse they suffered.
"Today, their abuser is behind bars, where he will no longer be a threat to women.
" If anyone has suffered any abuse, no matter how long ago, report it to police and be assured it will be investigated.”
He even hit her with an iron.
The minister added: “It was about him telling me who was in control – you are my wife and I will do with you what I want.
“It was not the first time I had sex with him when I didn’t want to. At first it was coercive, ‘If you love me you will do this’.
"Now I know the correct response would be, ‘If you love me you wouldn’t be asking me to do this’. It was an abuse of all my emotions, my body and my health.
"It was an abuse of my mind.”
She divorced Adams after five years, and a back injury forced her to give up the job she loved – but she later became a minister.
Years later she also found love with her second husband. They have been married more than 20 years and have a son.
She said: “I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to experience a true marriage and not a coercive relationship.”
When she dared to meet friends from work on her day off, he was furious.
She said: “I watch programmes on TV where men are controlling and coercive but when you are in it, you don’t see it growing.
"Even when the violence begins you put it down to a one-off because he promises it will never happen again.”
Earlier today, a Police Scotland spokesman said the force is committed to supporting victims of sexual crimes and investigating those responsible and bringing them to justice.
They added: "We would encourage any victims to come forward and report it.
"They can be assured of being fully supported by officers and partner agencies."
