This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

A man has been jailed for 16 years for a “brutal and shocking” machete attack on a police officer.

Muhammad Rodwan, 56, struck PC Stuart Outten over the head with a 60cm blade after being stopped in his white van in east London last August.

Rodwan, who had previous convictions for rape and two machete attacks, was pulled over in Leyton, east London, on suspicion of having no insurance. He punched Outten and grabbed a sharpened machete as the officer tried to arrest him.

Despite bleeding heavily from six deep gashes to the head and arm, Outten managed to Taser Rodwan twice.

Rodwan claimed he acted in self-defence, telling police: “My life is worth more than his life.”

A jury at the Old Bailey on Thursday cleared Rodwan of attempted murder but found him guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest An image from bodyworn camera footage of the incident in August. Photograph: PA

Rodwan, 56, was cleared of having an offensive weapon, having argued that he used the machete in his gardening work.

The judge Mrs Justice Carr sentenced him to 16 years in prison, with a further three years on extended licence.

She said: “This was a brutal and shocking attack with a machete on a police officer carrying out his duties during what should have been a routine stop of a van to investigate whether you were properly insured.

“I’m sure the violence started with you when PC Outten blocked your attempt to close your door. I reject the unattractive submission that he was using excessive force in circumstances when you had assaulted him and forcibly resisted arrest.”

She said Rodwan picked up the machete “in a rage” when all he had to do was to stop resisting arrest. Outten showed “considerable presence of mind and fortitude” in Tasering his attacker despite his injuries, she said.

The judge told Rodwan: “I detect not a shred of remorse or insight on your part, but rather belligerent arrogance, typified by your comment when charged that your life was worth more than that of PC Outten.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest PC Stuart Outten was off work for five months as a result of the attack. Photograph: Kirsty O’Connor/PA

After the verdicts on Thursday, Outten 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. I recall specifically as I was falling to the floor, having fired the first shot and aiming for the second, [thinking] that if this doesn’t work, this might be it.”

The officer, who was off work for five months as a result of the attack, said he felt “no hatred” for Rodwan. “He did what he did, he’s now paying the price for it. I don’t feel the attack was personal. He was attacking an officer in uniform and I responded as such.”

He added: “Luckily I have the size and build that I can take a couple of machete blows to the head – apparently – and I can act afterwards.”