A man who savagely beat three sisters in a "vicious and merciless'' hammer attack as they slept with their young children in a luxury London hotel has been jailed for life.

Philip Spence, 33, bludgeoned the three wealthy women, tourists from the United Arab Emirates, in the four-star Cumberland Hotel in central London and left them for dead.

He hit one of his victims, Ohoud Al-Najjar, 34, with such force her skull split open as her nine-year-old nephew cowered under the sheets next to her.

She survived the attack, but was left with just 5% brain function, can no longer speak and lost sight in one eye.

Her sisters Khulood, 36, and Fatima, 31, were both also left with life threatening injuries and are still having medical treatment following the attack on April 6 this year.

Spence, from Harlesden in north-west London, was found guilty of attempted murder at London's Southwark Crown Court last month.

Sentencing him to life with a minimum term of 18 years today, Judge Anthony Leonard QC said: "It is nothing short of a miracle combined with the finest medical attention that led to Ohoud surviving the attack. You used deliberate and gratuitous violence over what was needed to carry out the robbery."

Spence, who has 37 convictions for 62 offences dating back to 1993, wore a hooded jacket and blue shirt in the dock and showed no reaction as he was sentenced.

Judge Leonard said: "You were responsible for a sustained attack with a hammer on three women visiting this country from the United Arab Emirates.

"The ferocity of that attack was such you left one woman so badly injured she will never walk again unaided."

Spence was found guilty of three counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary during the attack on April 6.

Neofitos "Thomas" Efremi, 57, from Islington, north London, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

He was sentenced to 14 years and told he would serve half of his term before being released on licence.

James Moss, 34, who pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, was sentenced to 21 months, suspended for two years.

A man who savagely beat three sisters in a "vicious and merciless'' hammer attack as they slept with their young children in a luxury hotel has been jailed for life.