A LEISURE centre attendant who raped a woman after detaining her in his car was yesterday jailed for seven years.

Sean Patrick, 30, from Paisley, also sexually abused another seven women.

The offences were committed at various addresses in Paisley and Johnstone between June 2013 and August 2018.

At the High Court in Glasgow judge Lord Harrower told Patrick that his offences required a substantial sentence.

Lord Harrower also placed Patrick on the sex offenders register.

Defence QC Thomas Ross said: “Mr Patrick continues to maintain his innocence.”

Patrick, who worked as a leisure attendant in Renfrewshire, abducted his victim against her will and then raped her in a car at Candren Road, Paisley, on an occasion between May 15 and 31, 2016.

He then sent her sexual explicit comments between July and August 2016 with the intention of obtaining sexual gratification or humiliating and distressing her.

Patrick admitted giving the woman a lift in his car, but denied raping her.

The court heard that Patrick also sent photographs of a penis to five of his victims.

He also sexually abused and made sexual remarks to his victims.

Patrick placed a vacuum cleaner nozzle against one woman's buttocks and on another occasion placed his hand between her legs.

With another victim he touched her breasts and pulled at her underwear.

Patrick was also found guilty of detaining a woman against her will at an address in Johnstone in June 2013 and touching her breasts and seizing her buttocks.

Prosecutor John Keenan told the court that Patrick has two previous convictions for road traffic offences.

Patrick denied all the charges against him.

He was cleared by the jury of sexually assaulting one woman by striking her between the legs with shaving foam and pressing himself against another woman.