A BRUTAL sex attacker who throttled one victim and smothered another to the point of unconsciousness has been jailed for life.

Callum King, from Priory Mill Lane, Witney, subjected two women to levels of 'appalling violence' which left one with injuries Judge Peter Ross said were some of the worst he had ever seen.

The 25-year-old admitted one count of rape, two counts of sexual assault, one count of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm and one count of inflicting actual bodily harm.

At his sentencing on Thursday, Oxford Crown Court heard that King, who sobbed throughout the hearing, targeted his first victim when she came home from a night out in Bournemouth, Dorset, on June 6, 2015.

King gained access to her block of flats and addressed her by name before following her into her flat and sexually assaulting her.

Rebecca Austin, prosecuting, said: "He put his hand over her mouth and nose, which prevented her from breathing.

"She believed he was going to kill her."

After the attack, King left her flat and she fled, partially clothed, to a neighbour's house.

When police turned up, they found her with a bloodshot eye and a red mark on the end of her nose, as well as injuries to her neck and back.

King was tracked down by police, but while he was on bail he attacked and raped a second woman in Langel Common, Witney, in the early hours of June 3 this year, as she walked home from work.

Ms Austin said: "In her statement what she first remembers is being on the floor, but not being sure how she got there.

"Her attacker had his knee in her back and was punching and kicking her.

"She told the man to stop but he did not react. He had his hands around her throat and she was not able to breathe.

"She thought she was going to die."

The court heard the attack lasted for about half-an-hour and left the victim with three fractured vertebrae, bruises and fractures to her neck and external bruising on her body.

Alistair Grainger, defending, said: "It is of little consolation, probably, to anybody listening in court, but Mr King says that he is sorry and disgusted with his behaviour.

"He is sorry for what he has put people through, he has never seen himself as a violent person and he hopes the women go on to rebuild their lives from what he has done to them."

Judge Ross sentenced King to life in prison and told him he must serve at least nine years and three months until he can be considered for release.

He said: "It is an appalling catalogue of sexual offending accompanied by very shocking violence in which your two victims lost consciousness.

"You changed lives [on the night of the Witney attack] in the most appalling way.

"I have absolutely no hesitation in saying that you are a dangerous offender.

"The best prediction of future risk is past conduct and you have amply demonstrated in your appalling conduct towards women that you represent that risk."

Judge Ross also requested that the Chief Constable of Dorset Police, which investigated the Bournemouth offences, explain to him within two weeks what action had been taken regarding two police officers who did not seize as evidence a mobile phone found in the victim's flat.

He awarded a neighbour who took the phone to police £1,000 from public funds.