An serial rapist “at the highest end of wickedness” prepared his bedroom as a torture chamber, spreading out a circular saw, knives and pliers on his bed, along with a hedge trimmer plugged into an electrical socket.

Duwayne Shaun Henry, 34, was foiled by a ‘good Samaritan’ who has never been traced, after luring three sex worker victims to his flat in Elvin House, Morning Lane, Hackney Central, over the course of 14 months.

He subjected them to repeated rape attacks using large knives and the threat of death or serious injury to overwhelm them with fear.

In the final attack Henry lined up the knives and tools which police believe he was planning to use as weapons - but the victim’s screams prompted a man to burst into the room and free her.

The man has never been traced, despite the Gazette issuing a police appeal last year.

Henry, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday following a three week trial at Blackfriars Crown Court, selected all his victims online via an escort agency, giving out the wrong flat number and meeting them outside.

His first victim, who was subjected to a degrading three-hour long attack, fled to her home country after he took a photo of her driving licence and told her he would track her down and kill her if she went to the police.

Henry stole the mobile phone of his second victim who was attacked in April 2013 after being gagged with duct tape and raped at knifepoint, before Henry told her to gather up the sheets from the bed and put them in the washing machine.

He met his third victim nearly a year later in February 2014.

When she entered his bedroom and was confronted by the horrific sight of a belt, shears, a saw, pliers, seven knives, a circular saw and a hedge trimmer, Henry put a knife to her face near to her eye, pushed her over and told her she was going to die before gagging her and tying her up.

Amongst the threats he made, Henry told her: “I’m invisible, I’m the Ripper”.

She was eventually saved by a mysterious man who appeared at the doorway of the room.

On sentencing Henry to serve a minimum of 12 and a half years, Judge, HHJ Hillen said: “The terror you instilled in your victims, by use of weapons and words used and restraints do not bear imagining.

“Your crimes are at the highest end of wickedness and are disturbing for the public.

“These were premeditated attacks on vulnerable victims. You were forensically aware and attempted to dispose of or conceal evidence.”

DI Tony Lynes of the Met’s homicide and major crime command, said he could not be sure there are other victims out there.

“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to any woman who thinks they may have been a victim of his to come forward to police or to Crimestoppers,” he said.

“Duwayne Henry is an evil individual and I am pleased that justice has been done today.

“Henry’s attacks were thoroughly planned; he controlled the environment where the attacks took place, avoiding the risk of being disturbed.

“Luckily he did not take into account the courage of his victims or the tenacity of the detectives investigating this case and I am pleased that today he can look forward to a substantial prison sentence.”