A man who carried out a 14-offence crime spree in just four hours described as “a very serious danger to the public” has been jailed.

Judge Stephen Holt made the comment as he sentenced 23-year-old Jake Killick, from Thetford and of no fixed abode, to a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years and 14 days before being considered for parole.

It followed a trial held at Norwich Crown Court on January 24 where Killick was found guilty of six counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration, one count of false imprisonment, one count of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and three counts of robbery - all of which were committed in Norwich city centre between 4.30am and 7.38am on March 30, 2017.

Detective Inspector Chris Burgess, from Norwich CID, said: “Killick went on a horrid crime spree which significantly impacted on the lives of his victims. I would like to commend them on their bravery and commitment in achieving this conviction.

“These horrendous crimes will undoubtedly stay with them for a long time and I hope today’s sentence offers them a form of closure in what has been a very difficult time.

“I’ve never seen a series of crimes, so serious in nature, committed in such a short space of time. Killick’s actions on that day are inexcusable and the public should feel safer now he is behind bars.

“This case shows how the community, including businesses, can come together to bring violent offenders to justice, and I would like to thank them for their help in securing a positive outcome.”

Police received a report of a woman, who was on her way to get the first train to London for work, being sexually assaulted at 4.35am.

A second woman, who was a virgin and also on her way to work, reported she had been assaulted and raped multiple times shortly after 6am.

Judge Stephen Holt said Killick “dragged her down one of the alleyways and told her you would murder her if she screamed out or tried to get away. You then raped her”.

He said Killick marched the woman to a second location where he raped her again, and the victim’s “30 or 40 minutes of hell” ended only when a local in a nearby property “had the courage to open her door” and remonstrated with him.

A third woman reported being sexually assaulted at 6.50am and a fourth woman reported being grabbed and assaulted in an underpass at 7am.

Three robberies followed, with a man mugged of his phone at 7.16am, an unknown person seen on CCTV having their phone stolen at Norwich bus station at 7.25am then a final call from a man robbed of his wallet at 7.35am.

Police tracked down Killick and arrested him at Norwich train station at 8.15am.

Killick was also found guilty of breaching a restraining order.

Judge Stephen Holt, sentencing, told Killick: “You pose a high risk of serious harm to the public.”

He described the offences as “a campaign of rape and sexual assaults and robberies on the streets of Norwich as residents were going to work early in the morning, going about their business”.

Matthew McNiff, mitigating, said Killick has a “very low IQ” and is a “deeply sad and fairly damaged young man”.

Some of Killick’s victims sat in the public gallery for the sentencing hearing.

Killick, who appeared by video link from HMP Belmarsh, showed no reaction as his sentence was delivered.