A violent monster has been jailed after being convicted of the brutal ill-treatment of a woman and three children.
Richard McHarg had denied waging a campaign of violence against the victims more than 20 years ago and claimed the allegations were false.
However, a jury at the High Court in Livingston rejected his defence and returned majority verdicts convicting him of seven “very serious charges”.
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McHarg, 60, was found guilty of four counts of assault to injury and danger of life and three of wilfully ill-treating young children.
The jury was told that McHarg tried to strangle a woman with a belt and once attempted to suffocate her with a pillow.
She also claimed he brandished a hot iron next to her face and threw a large kitchen knife at her, but missed.
She said that when he throttled her she was left “gasping for breath”, but each time he stopped before anything serious happened.
The woman also told the court that she had witnessed McHarg dangling a boy over a second-floor balcony as she screamed at him to stop.
She also recalled how he had once threatened to murder her if she did not get out of his car on a remote rural road, leaving her with blistered feet after she walked five miles home.
The youngsters were subjected to recurring violent attacks by former soldier.
They spoke of being regularly punched and kicked by McHarg, being beaten with a cane, and having their toys destroyed by him.
One said they had their breathing restricted.
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When one of the boys turned 16, he reported McHarg to the police and an investigation by detectives resulted in the case being reported for prosecution.
McHarg flatly denied committing any of the alleged offences while he stayed with the family at addresses in Livingston and in Forres, Moray.
McHarg, a first offender from Livingston, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out.
Judge Lord Mulholland called for background reports before sentence and said McHarg’s convictions would be notified to Scottish Ministers under laws to protect vulnerable groups.
He told the accused: “You have been convicted of very serious crimes – four of assault and three of ill treatment of children.
“I’ll require to obtain a background report before I sentence you on October 3 at Edinburgh High Court and that should address the issue of risk.”
He added: “This will inevitably result in a lengthy sentence of imprisonment. I’ll decide the length of that once I’ve heard from your solicitor and read the report.”
McHarg was remanded in custody.
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