A LAWYER today claimed "Britain's hardest cop" brought a machete attack on himself - and insisted he should be punished for using "force" during an arrest.

Sophie Khan sparked outrage by suggesting PC Stuart Outten should be disciplined after grappling with and Tasering Muhammad Rodwan.

2 Solicitor Sophie Khan has called for the policeman to be punished after using the Taser on the attacker

2 PC Stuart Outten suffered several injuries in the attack last August Credit: PA:Press Association

He was attacked with a 2-foot long blade after pulling over the 56-year-old for driving without insurance in East London last August.

The officer saved himself by unleashing a 50,000-volt Taser twice on Rodwan, but suffered six head wounds and skull fractures along with an arm injury and broken fingers.

Solicitor Ms Khan told the Sun Online: "Before the machete is being used is there a very serious use of force by the officer.

"You cannot pull out dreadlocks and their hair.

"Then what follows with the police officer is an overreaction to something that's quite minor.

"Muhammad Rodwan is trying to defend himself, he obviously goes too far and a Taser is used.

"He only did that because of what was happening to him.

"Had the officer not behaved that way the likelihood is that none of this would've happened.

"It's just a really bad situation really. When you look into this at the beginning, this could've been avoided.

"Why is that officer in that position in the first place?"

Muhammad Rodwan is trying to defend himself, he obviously goes too far and a Taser is used. Sophie Khan

Posting on Twitter over the weekend, she wrote of her surprise the Met "haven't started disciplinary action against PC Outten for assault and battery on Muhammad Rodwan."

Ms Khan, who has represented people injured by Tasers, told the Sun Online: "I think that needs to be looked at by the Met Police - that use of force is wholly unreasonable.

"That would be a civil action if Muhammad Rodwan or the Met Police deal with it [the use of force]."

Her tweets were widely criticised, with many responding angrily in defence of the cop - but today she said she had no comment to make on the online reaction.

A Met Police spokeswoman said neither PC Outten or the Met would comment on the solicitor's criticisms, but said there will be no investigation into the cop's actions.

Mrs Justice Carr, sitting at the Old Bailey last week, accepted the officer used "considerable force" and pulled out hair in the arrest attempt but rejected the idea he used excessive force.

The judge told Rodwan: "This was a brutal and shocking attack. I reject the unattractive submission that [PC Outten] was using excessive force in circumstances when you had assaulted him and forcibly resisted arrest."



ATTACKER GUILTY

On Thursday a jury at the Old Bailey found Rodwan guilty of wounding with intent, but cleared him of the more serious charge of attempted murder and also of possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 16 years.

It later emerged Rodwan had served time for an earlier machete attack.

Rodwan was jailed for nine years in 1996 for attacking two men with a machete in the bedroom of his east London flat.

Both victims needed surgery following the attack in 1996, with one having almost had his hand chopped off.

He had convictions stretching back to when he was 18 and was jailed for three years after being convicted of rape in 1983.

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PC Outten said he counted himself very lucky to survive, joking he was thankful that his head was hard enough to withstand the onslaught.

He said: "On that night I was just doing my job, doing what I'm trained to do, but more importantly making sure I didn't die, because that was a distinct possibility had the attack carried on.

"Once he's started hitting me in the head with the machete, then I realised it was escalating very quickly and I was having to now fight for my life."

Police released photographs of the extensive injuries the brave cop suffered Credit: PA:Press Association

Bodycam footage shows how the cop Tasered Rodwan as he wielded a machete Credit: Met Police

The officer managed to Taser his attacker and radio for help Credit: PA:Press Association

Pc Stuart Outten became known as Britain's hardest cop after he was attacked Credit: PA:Press Association

Muhammad Rodwan was found guilty of wounding with intent after attacking the cop Credit: PA:Press Association