Two 20-year-old women who beat, hammered and tortured a vulnerable internet date for 24 hours and told him he was 'going to die today' have been jailed.

The pair, who told the victim James Liddell he was 'going to die today', also dunked the victim in cold water and strangled him with a rope and a cord from some hair straighteners during their brutal attack.

Mr Liddell and his attacker Tanisha Williams struck up an online romance via the dating site TangoWire. He was then lured to her flat in Battersea when Williams and mum-of-two Paige Springer carried out their savage attack.

The 27-year-old man, who has learning difficulties, was smashed over the head with a hammer by the bloodthirsty attackers and threatened with an electrical drill and knife.

Paige Springer (left) and Tanisha Williams (right) have been sentenced to 28 months after their sickening 24-hour attack on James Liddell in Williams' flat in Battersea

The pair were sentenced to 28 months in jail and told by a judge: 'It is a sickening case.'

Springer hit Mr Liddell on the head with a hammer and repeatedly said: 'I want to kill him, I want to hit him'.

She did not make full contact with Mr Liddell, but left a lump on his head and then hit him with a bottle after Williams said 'you'd better hit him with a bottle, knock him out'.

James Liddell's sickening assault Mr Liddell endured 24-hours of torture at the hands of Paige Springer and Tanisha Williams

The 27-year-old was punched and kicked repeatedly

Springer smashed Mr Liddell on the head with the hammer

Twisted pair brandished a knife threatened to kill Mr Liddell

Williams revved a drill in front of Mr Liddell during the assault

Strangled with rope and electrical cord

Forced to strip off and take a cold bath, where he was then forced underwater Advertisement

The victim, who lives in supported housing and has a care worker, banged on the walls to try and draw attention to his attack in the hope someone would save him. He was then threatened with a knife and told: 'If you move you're going to get stabbed'.

Mr Liddell was only saved from his savage attack after an unexpected visitor saw the bloody victim, and despite the pair's best efforts to block his view, called 999.

Mr Liddell suffered a lacerated forearm, a cut to his left eye, plus cuts, scrapes and bruising to other parts of his body.

Prosecutor Mr Gavin Pottinger told the court: 'He is particularly vulnerable and this was a sustained assault.

'He thought Miss Williams was in a relationship with him, but when he arrived she locked the door behind him and said: 'You're going to die today.'

'He could hear Miss Williams on the phone to friends saying she was going to kill someone and he was hit by her with a pole that caused bleeding and loss of consciousness.

'Further threats were made and he was dragged from the lounge to the bathroom by Miss Williams, stripped and made to get into the bath and remained there until he felt cold.

'His head was pushed under the water and an electric drill was also taken into the bathroom and brandished by Miss Williams, who kept turning it on and off, revving it.

'He was throttled with the electrical cord of some hair straighteners by Miss Williams.'

James Liddell (above) was beaten, strangled and repeatedly threatened during the brutal attack. The 27-year-old has said he had nightmares two months after the incident

His blood was found on Williams' shoes and on Springer's clothing.

The innocent victim said he was still having nightmares about the incident two months after the attack and felt nervous when leaving his home.

Mr Pottinger added: 'There was a clear intention to cause more injury than he sustained because there were a number of blows that did not connect with any real force.'

Williams' lawyer Mr Dan Darnbrough said: 'She deeply regrets her actions. It will be her first custodial sentence and she is terrified.

'Sometimes she drank to excess and took cannabis and says her anti-depressant tablets turned her into a zombie.'

Both women were given a 10-year restraining order against Mr Liddell and forbidden from contacting him by Judge Lamb.

He said: 'There is no dispute this is a Category One offence.

'Save for motherhood there's little in mitigation for these defendants for me to take a different course.'