Twenty-nine years after his shocking murder, the widow of PC Blakelock sat head bowed in court as jurors were told how a rampaging mob tried to chop his head off.

The defenceless policeman was set upon by merciless rioters chanting “kill the pig” on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham in October 1985, the Old Bailey heard.

He was hacked more than 40 times and a knife was left embedded in his neck, the jury was told.

His colleague, PC Richard Coombes, was miraculously able to survive the onslaught from the mob armed with an assortment of weapons.

Nearly 30 years later Nicky Jacobs, who is now 44 and was just 16 at the time, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Sitting just feet away from the dock as the trial opened were the victim’s widow, Elizabeth Johnson and three sons, Lee, Mark and Kevin.

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Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said Jacobs had been armed with a knife and was part of the joint attack on PC Blakelock.

But other members of the riot mob will be giving evidence against him.

Said Mr Whittam: “There is no dispute that PC Blakelock was murdered. There is no dispute that Nicky Jacobs was involved in the public disorder that night, as were some of the witnesses.

“That is not what he is on trial for. Neither is any witness on trial for that, or anything else. Jacobs is on trial for the murder and the allegation is that he had a bladed weapon and he used it in the attack.”

The court heard that the riot – worse than the 2011 Summer disorder - was sparked when police searched the home of a suspect whose mother, Cynthia Jarrett, died of a heart attack.

With community tensions already high, the anger of Mrs Jarrett’s family and friends boiled over.

“These were, to some extent, far more serious riots than we have seen in recent times,” said Mr Whittam.

“The riots of 2011 appeared for most of the time to have a materialistic object and there was a considerable amount of looting.

“The Tottenham riots of 1985 had a more sinister edge. At least some of the rioters appeared to have as their target the death of a police officer.”

PC Blakelock was among a group of 11 officers sent to the Broadwater estate to protect firefighters tackling blazes.

They had been sent without cover because resources were stretched and, heavily outnumbered, were forced to retreat, the court heard.

“AS the ran for safety PC Blakelock and PC Coombes went to ground and were set upon to shouts of ‘kill the pig’ and things like that,” the QC went on.

“PC Coombes was very fortunate to survive. PC Blakelock did not. The attack on him was without mercy.

“In a ferocious attack his helmet came off. He was beaten and stabbed to death before his colleagues were able to force his attackers away.

“He suffered something in excess of 40 stab-type injuries and there appears to have been an attempt made to decapitate him.”

Jacobs, of Hackney, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The case continues.