Four police officers were attacked in the line of duty after a knifeman lured them to a property with a bogus 999 call, a court has heard.

Alex Traykov is accused of using the alias Solomon to report a fight in Islington, north London, before striking officers in the head and face with a blade on 6 October 2018.

Traykov, 20, was wearing a black hoodie and clutching a large knife behind his back when he opened the door to the four officers in Liverpool Road, the Old Bailey heard.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said: "Nothing could have prepared them for what awaited them or the fact that rather than seeking to break up violence against others, they were about to be subjected to extreme violence themselves.

"Without hesitation or warning, and certainly without the slightest provocation from the officers, he raised his right hand and proceeded to attack the officers."


Traykov first struck PC Istarlin Said-Ali by bringing the knife down on her head, the jury heard.

He is then accused of cutting the 31-year-old's hand as she warded off a second blow.

Traykov then ran at the other officers and inflicted a 1.6in (4cm) cut to PC Rafal Zedziora's face and slashed the back of his neck, the court heard.

He is then alleged to have wounded PC Ben Thomson's arm before continuing to rain down blows, Mr Atkinson told the court.

Trayvok, from Redhill, Surrey, was tasered twice and was finally subdued by PC Launa Watkins, 39, the court was told.

The officers all suffered injuries despite wearing stab vests, with PC Kedziora needing 13 stitches in his cheek and neck and PC Thomson suffering a 6in (15cm) long laceration to his forearm.

The whole incident was over in about 30 seconds and was caught on CCTV footage, which was played in court.

Mr Atkinson said: "It is clear that the defendant was acting throughout in a determined way, making a series of deliberate large movements of the knife towards the officers.

Image: Alex Traykov is accused of luring officers to an address with a bogus 999 call

"He continued after them as they sought to retreat. He continued to stab at them after they had fallen to the ground.

"He only desisted from carrying out his attack because of the intervention of the Taser-wielding officer, which finally tamed his torrent of extreme violence."

Mr Atkinson told jurors the officers had responded to the 999 call that night to "defuse any trouble and prevent harm to the public".

He continued: "Those four officers were seeking to perform their public duty to prevent crime and disorder and to keep the community safe."

The Metropolitan Police officers, who had a total of 24-and-a-half years' experience between them, were left deeply affected by the "deeply shocking, sudden and fast moving incident", the prosecutor said.

The defendant, who had appeared emotionless, gave no explanation after he was arrested, jurors were told.

He was treated for a head injury but refused a blood sample that could have been tested for drugs and alcohol.

Mr Atkinson said there was no dispute that Traykov attacked the officers and the issue for the jury was what he was intending to do.

The defendant has denied four charges of attempted murder, and three alternative charges of wounding with intent and one of attempted wounding with intent.