Convicted rapist cleared of attempted murder of 'Britain's bravest cop' Pc Stuart Outten

23 January 2020, 14:13

- Machete attacker found guilty of vicious attack on Pc Stuart Outten but cleared of attempted murder

- Muhammad Rodwan, 56, was also cleared of possession of an offensive weapon

- Pc Stuart Outten managed to subdue his attacker using his Taser

- Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment Pc Outten was attacked

WARNING: This video contains images some people may find disturbing

Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment "Britain's bravest cop" Pc Stuart Outten brings down a man who attacked him with a machete by hitting him with a well-placed shot from his Taser.

PC Stuart Outten was struck by the two-foot blade six times during a routine stop of a van suspected of having no insurance, the Old Bailey heard.

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The brutal attack left him with severe head injuries and needing months of surgery, but the courageous cop said he would return to the front line "hand in cast" if he had been allowed.

Handyman Muhammad Rodwan, 56, who launched the ferocious machete attack on Pc Outten, was found guilty at the Old Bailey of wounding with intent but not guilty of attempted murder.

He was also cleared of possession of an offensive weapon. He had argued that, as a handyman, he used his machete as a tool.

Rodwan, who has previous convictions for rape and two machete attacks, claimed he acted in self defence, telling police: "My life is worth more than his life."

Wounding with intent carries a maximum term of life in prison.

Mrs Justice Carr adjourned sentencing until Friday morning. Rodwan made no reaction as the verdicts were delivered.

The verdict comes amid Nick Ferrari's Time for Tasers campaign on LBC which has seen £10m in funding allocated to equip and train more police with Tasers.

The video footage of the brutal attack suffered by Pc Outten highlights the need for police officers to be equipped with Tasers so they can better protect themselves and members of the public.

In a recent interview Pc Outten said: “My taser saved my life. If front line officers want one, they should have one."

In the horrific footage, captured on body camera and by passers-by, Mr Outten can be seen trying to get Rodwan out of the car before he tries to drive off and a scuffle ensues.

Rodwan punches the officer, who backs away when he sees the machete.

Rodwan throws it at Mr Outten, slashing his head and leaving blood pouring from his wounds, but the brave cop still manages to direct orders to his colleague and fire his taser, subduing his attacker.

Mr Outten's camera then captures him fall on the floor, bleeding heavily, while he calls from help from colleagues.

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“I think I first realised what had happened when I was on all fours in the middle of Leighton High Road at just gone midnight,” said Pc Outten.

Recalling the night, he said: "Before I know it I can feel something smacking against the side of my head and my head’s getting wet really quickly.

"I’ve got my finger on the taser button keep the electricity cycling and there’s blood literally looking like it was coming out of a tap in my head.

"Then my first thought was, I might be in a bit of trouble, and I had to focus on my breathing to stop my heart rate escalating, blood escalating and losing consciousness. If I lost consciousness the taser could stop and he could get back up and carry on.”

He added that he had been kicked and shoved “several times” before while on duty and that there is “always an inherent risk of injury that comes with the job”, but “never” expected to be knifed.

The attack left him with six wounds to the head, skull fractures, arm injuries and broken figures - after a simple request to stop for a traffic offence.

It comes amid growing calls for routine police officers to be armed with tasers.

“My taser saved my life,” Mr Outten said. “If front line officers want one, they should have one.

Since being given his weapon in 2013, he said he has never had to pull the trigger. “Its presence in itself is a massive deterrent on the belt,” he said.

“Even people who have been tasered before never want to tasered again, because they know how much it hurts.”

But he stressed the need for “rigorous” training and refresher sessions for officers who hold tasers.

Detective Richard Tucker said: “The gravity of the offence shocked me. You’d be shocked at how many officers get assaulted every day, so it’s not uncommon, but the severity of the attack was.

“Sixteen officers and staff are assaulted each day in London and they vary in degrees of severity, so there’s always a threat. In my time in the police there’s definitely been a rise in disrespect for the police, a sense that it’s okay to assault a police officer and it’s not.

But when asked of the taser campaign, he called for calm. “If having a taser makes them feel safe and more confident doing their role, then I’m more than prepared to support that. But not every officer, because not every officer does a role where it’s appropriate to carry a taser.”