He alluded to evidence given by his client's mother Maxine, 45, who admitted seeing her son pull the hair of one of his alleged victims and drag her to a car after she spat at him.

BBC: Pregnant mother

Mr Martin said he could not understand why, if Mr Paterson was the "controlling and violent man" she had painted him as in court, she had spat in his face.

BBC: Pregnant mother

She said she later learned from the Mitchells and from police that the two friends had a spat because Sherrie's mother wouldn't let her go jogging with Leah after dark.

CNN: Boyfriend's arrest cracks cold case, police say

She had just started college but her father had confiscated her car keys earlier that day, after a spat.

FORBES: Magazine Article