A rapist has been jailed for almost 30 years after being found guilty of multiple sex offences.

Neill Shotter had denied a catalogue of charges which took place over a period spanning more than 10 years.

However, he was convicted following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Shotter, 52, was initially arrested in December 2015 at his home in Bishops Oak Ride, Tonbridge.

A police investigation revealed evidence of repeated sexual abuse and violence against a woman, which first took place in the 1990s.

In one incident, he raped the victim whilst holding a knife to her stomach.

Shotter had pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, four of indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault.

He was also charged with nine other unrelated offences against other victims, four of which he admitted but denied the rest.

The case went to trial, and apart from one count of indecent assault - for which the judge instructed the jury to deliver a not guilty verdict - Shotter was convicted on all other charges.

He was jailed for 27 years yesterday and must also sign on the sex offender register and was made subject of a restraining order, both indefinitely.

Leading the investigation was DC Jackie Curtis, of the vulnerable investigation team.

She said: "Neill Shotter is a violent and extremely dangerous individual, responsible for a series of callous, sadistic and profoundly disturbing offences which have caused huge long term harm and distress to a number of people.

"It is certainly rare to encounter a case where the offender has demonstrated such repeated brutality, without any provocation.

"Thankfully he will now be in prison for a long time and I only hope the sentence will at least provide some reassurance and comfort to his victims."

Jailing the former bodybuilder and bouncer yesterday , Judge Martin Huseyin said he had subjected the rape victim to 'humiliation and degradation', and that all his offending went 'beyond the pale'.

"You have been found guilty of a shocking degree of sexual cruelty and sexual violence.”

The judge accepted that due to a chronic spinal condition Shotter, who sat slumped across the dock railings throughout the hearing, would find prison more difficult to cope with.

But he refuted a suggestion by Shotter's barrister that his borderline personality disorder with emotional instability traits combined with his upbringing had contributed to his crimes.

Judge Huseyin told the court: "I cannot accept that this was a defendant who didn't know what he was doing was wrong.

"He may have had views that justified it to himself but I don't accept in terms of society's level in what is acceptable that he didn't know society would regard the level of violence as beyond the pale."

Jan Hayne, defending, said her client felt "self-disgust" and did not believe he was "fit to live".