The 54-year-old from Beaconsfield, Brookside, Telford, committed the offences on January 20 and January 24, 2020.

On both occasions Thomas used a claw hammer to attack the female victims.

He was also convicted of possession of an offensive weapon and was found guilty of all of the offences at a trial which concluded in December 2020.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Lisa Roberts, said: “These were shocking offences and we would like to emphasise to the public that West Mercia Police takes offences takes these types of offences very seriously. Convictions and sentences such as this are only possible with the engagement of the public in supporting our investigations.”

“In this particular case, we would like to commend the bravery of the victims, as well as the witnesses who have been involved in the investigation. I hope that the sentence given to Christopher Thomas will reassure the public and give victims of any crime the confidence to contact us.”