A man has denied murdering his girlfriend in her flat.
Keith Rizzo appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, accused of killing Neomi Smith on June 9 this year.
The 23-year-old allegedly forced his way into her flat in Brechin and compressed her neck, restricting her breathing.
He then allegedly struck the 23-year-old care worker repeatedly with knives.
Rizzo also faces a separate charge of assaulting Miss Smith, who was originally from Aberdeen, to her injury and danger of life between May 5 and June 8.
Prosecutors claim this happened at her flat and Hudson’s Bar in Brechin.
The charge includes accusations Rizzo hit Miss Smith’s head off a wall, punched her and caused her to lose consciousness by compressing her neck.
He is further charged with threatening and abusive behaviour against Miss Smith.
Rizzo also faces allegations involving four other women.
These accusations span between December 2014 and May 2019.
The charges include claims he assaulted three of them and behaved in a threatening manner towards the other.
Rizzo is also accused of resisting arrest.
He denied all the charges against him when he appeared in court. A trial date was fixed for February.
