A mother and son have been cleared of committing a string of horrific offences – including rape and abduction.
Dean McKenzie and his mum Annette Ross, 48, had been on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen facing a total of 11 charges.
McKenzie was accused of raping a schoolgirl and a young woman on numerous occasions over a seven-year period.
Prosecutors alleged that he committed the sexual assaults using a variety of items, including ice, paint rollers and hairbrushes.
The 24-year-old was also accused of carrying out a string of violent assaults on the two females by attacking them with saws, knives and cigarettes.
But yesterday, after the fist woman had given evidence, the advocate depute dropped all of the sexual charges against McKenzie.
Instead, he admitted two significantly reduced charges of assault, one against each of the women.
All charges against his mother, who was accused of assault and abduction, were dropped and she walked free from court.
McKenzie admitted assaulting a teenage girl on two occasions by punching and kicking her on the body to her injury.
One of the assaults was committed at his mother’s home, 15 Greenburn Drive, Aberdeen, and the other at Thainstone Centre in Inverurie.
McKenzie also admitted assaulting the other female by seizing her by the body and punching and kicking her on the head and body to her injury.
The offence was committed between February and April 2013.
When McKenzie, described as a prisoner at HMP Grampian, first appeared in court for trial he was facing a series of allegations that he had repeatedly raped and beaten the complainers over a period of several years.
It was alleged McKenzie had also urinated on his alleged victims when he was assaulting them.
He also faced a charge of using lewd and libidinous practices towards a child. These allegations were all dropped.
Judge Lord Burns deferred sentence on McKenzie until today.
