A PERVERT policeman who preyed on vulnerable women has failed to overturn his conviction for sex offences.

Dean Stewart lost his appeal - even though the judge at his trial said he was "troubled" by a jury's verdicts.

The 37-year-old from Paisley was jailed for five years for abuse in 2005.

Stewart - who subjected a 28-year-old woman and two teenage girls to sex acts - quit Strathclyde Police.

He was charged with 13 offences - including three rapes - committed in 1998-2004 when he was a PC in Kilbirnie, Saltcoats and Irvine.

He was cleared of all charges except two indecent assaults and one charge of indecency with a 15-year-old girl.

Judge Lord McEwan, in his report to the Court of Criminal Appeal, said he was "troubled" by the outcome of the trial.

He noted the jury did not completely believe the girl because they cleared Stewart of raping her.

Stewart's appeal was based on a challenge to the principle that one charge can support another in cases where there is no other evidence to back up a victim's story.

His legal team said the alleged offences were not the same so the principle did not apply.

But three appeal judges yesterday ruled the three charges were similar enough and dismissed the appeal.