A brute who raped a heavily pregnant woman and tried to throttle her has been jailed for 10 years.

Under the extended sentence for public protection, Samuel Thomas will have to serve two thirds of the term before the parole board will give consideration to his release.

A judge told the 26-year-old, of Barleycorn Drive, Rainham: “The facts are extremely disturbing. It is about the brutal rape of a young woman.”

Thomas’ lawyer said he had since grown up after he went into custody on remand nearly two years ago thinking it was “a bit of a joke”.

But Judge Charles Macdonald QC said the “violent and nasty rapes” were “unaccompanied by insight or remorse”.

Thomas was convicted in December 2015 of two offences of rape. He was not sentenced at the time because he was facing another rape allegation.

The prosecution dropped the case in February and he was acquitted of the charge.

Thomas was cleared by a jury in November 2015 of raping an elderly woman while threatening her with a knife when he was aged 16.

He was convicted of criminal damage.

Thomas, said to suffer from ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome, punched the pregnant woman and tried to strangle her as he forced himself on her in Gillingham.

Afterwards, he told her: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

He begged her not to go to the police.

She said in evidence: “I told him to leave me alone. He kept punching me, then strangling me.”

Thomas raped the woman on another occasion and bit her hard on her private parts.

“He told me it was my fault and I deserved it,” she said.

"He told me it was my fault and I deserved it" - Samuel Thomas' rape victim

“He punched me in the ribs. I was crying. He said: ‘This is your fault - remember that. You made me do it.”

Thomas, who has a previous conviction for attempted robbery, denied two offences of rape, two of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

He was convicted of the rapes and acquitted of one charge of actual bodily harm.

The jury could not reach verdicts on the remaining charges.

Thomas will be on licence for a further four years at the end of the 10-year sentence.

His name will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Alexia Zimbler, defending, said Thomas being on the autistic spectrum caused him to “behave in a way that was unusual and not understood by many”.

“Labelling him as dangerous would have a severe effect on him,” she said.

“He disputed the offences and that position remains unchanged.

“Over the last seven months, things have greatly improved for him. He has accepted it is his behaviour that affects other people.

“He is now making very good progress and taking the opportunities provided in prison.

“He was given a cigarette in custody that was spiked with Spice which caused a panic attack.

“He faced what seemed an unending list of criminal matters. This young man has already spent almost two years in prison. He is trying to be optimistic.”

Judge Macdonald said as a result of the attack the victim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and was still receiving counselling.

“I find there was violence beyond that which was inherent in the offence,” he said. “The victim was vulnerable because she was pregnant.

“I find there is psychological harm.”

The judge added: “It would be a very unusual case if a judge did not impose a public protection sentence.”