A HIGHLY dangerous man whose psychotic behaviour included ‘horrific’ sexual and physical violence and torture has been given a life sentence.

A judge told David White, formerly of St Helens, that the significant risk he poses to members of the public was so serious that only a lengthy jail term would be suitable.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 27 offences he was convicted of involved two women and his violence included strangling and punching them and raping one of them.

He tied one of them to a chair with a blanket over her head and ordered her into a bath of cold water holding her head under till she felt she was going to drown.

He now suffers nightmares about drowning.

He cut one of the victims with a knife and on one occasion ordered her to strip and threatened to use it for sexual violence.

White’s behaviour led him to believe there were men living under the floorboards where the women lived.

He also started saying that he could see pictures or writing cut into his hair on the back of his head.

Sentencing him, Judge Denis Watson QC said that although a psychiatrist found White was not suffering from mental illness ‘the wild and irrational believes you expressed are likely to result from alcohol and amphetamine abuse and at the time you had some psychotic disorder’.

He described his behaviour as ‘horrific’ and ruled that he must serve at least 12 years before he can apply for parole but warned him he may not be released.

White, 35, of Garston, Liverpool, but formerly of St Helens, was convicted of rape, sexual assault, assault causing actual bodily harm and threats to kill.