A VIOLENT Ayrshire rapist who left two women "too afraid to say no" has been jailed.
William Byrne was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years behind bars when he returned to the High Court in Glasgow this week. The 45-year-old will also be subject to supervision for four years upon his release.
It follows a horrific campaign of abuse which Byrne admitted during a prior appearance in the dock last month.
He pleaded guilty to six charges - three of rape and three of assault - with the offences committed in Irvine and Kilmarnock.
Not guilty pleas to a further 21 allegations were accepted by prosecutors.
The court previously heard that Byrne had known the first woman he abused for a number of years before his behaviour escalated.
He was described as "charming" initially before his character "changed" within a matter of weeks.
During one incident, in July 2018, Byrne "made her have sex" in a car - with the court told incidents such as this "happened a lot".
On another occasion, he awoke the woman by lunging towards her with a pillow. He pressed it into her face "using his body weight" while shouting "go on, scream, scream".
The woman later escaped into the bathroom before fleeing.
The court was also told how Byrne attacked the woman with an 18-inch metal pole during an argument.
He told the woman he was going to "break her shins" before pausing, saying "f**k it" and aiming two blows towards her legs.
The victim was described as "regularly having sex with him to avoid arguments" as well as fearing Byrne would become violent.
She often felt "coerced" by the abuser, with the court told she "felt she had lost all feeling of self-worth".
Byrne's campaign against her ended after a final incident of rape took place in October 2019. At this time, the woman was said to have felt "too afraid to say no".
Similar offences were then committed against another woman who felt she had to have sex with him as there was "no alternative".
As well as incidents of rape, Byrne was regularly violent with the woman.
The court heard that he hit her with a can on one occasion before seizing her, pulling her onto a bed, repeatedly hitting her head off a headboard and punching her face.
He then held a pillow over her face and shouted "just shut up" before the woman stopped screaming.
He was also said to have lit a candle which he used to pour wax into the woman's hair.
A separate incident involved a bread knife, which he used to threaten her. He cut her back with the blade, then got over her on a bed, leaning over her and telling her to be quiet.
Byrne then made a "large cut" - which has left a permanent scar - on her leg before he appeared to "tune out" when he saw what he had done. The court was told he apologised at the time.
As well as a period of imprisonment, Lord Renucci placed Byrne on the sex offenders register and banned him from contacting the women he targeted for an indefinite period.
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