A MAN who carried out one of the most “vicious and brutal attacks”police have witnessed has been jailed for 10 years.

Sam Anthony James Carrington, 23, of no fixed address, was jailed for the Section 18 assault, which he had pleaded guilty to, with an extended licence of four years for the savage assault on a 33-year-old woman in George Street West, Blackburn, last September.

He was also given five years for the attempted rape and two years for the sexual assault, to run concurrently.

His victim suffered injuries including a fractured jaw, bleed on the brain and a number of lost teeth.

She has not physically recovered and has been left permanently disfigured.

She has three metal plates in her jaw and suffers recurring headaches.

At Preston Crown Court yesterday he was jailed for 10 years for the Section 18 assault, which he had pleaded guilty to, with an extended licence of four years.

At his trial in March, the Lancashire Telegraph reported that prosecutor Nigel Booth had told the jury how Carrington followed his victim onto Pump Street, before pulling her to the ground when she got to a secluded spot in George Street West.

She was then punched a number of times and kicked to the head with enough force to knock her unconscious.

When the victim was on the ground Carrington exposed himself, put his groin in her face and ordered her to perform a sex act on him. When she refused, he punched her in the face.

A jury at Burnley Crown Court took less than two-and-a-half hours to convict Carrington of attempted rape and sexual assault.

In a statement provided to the court, the victim said the assault had been horrific and had left her always looking over her shoulder. If she went out it always had be to with a friend.

Detective Sgt Mel Kelly, of East CID, said: “This was one of the most vicious and brutal attacks I have ever witnessed.

“It is little short of a miracle that the victim was not more seriously injured or even killed and in fact the victim herself believed during the attack that she was going to die.

“The CCTV footage of this assault is truly horrifying. I would again like to commend the victim for having the strength to support the prosecution to see justice served against Carrington, who is clearly an extremely dangerous man.”