A 'beserk' attacker who wielded two samurai swords at a police officer and smashed one over his head has been jailed indefinitely.

David Golightly, 33, lashed out at PC Dave Martin with the deadly blade during a confrontation outside his home in the early hours of May 6.

Miraculously, PC Martin suffered no serious injury in the attack.

Golightly had claimed he was not armed with a samurai sword that night and had hit out at PC Martin with a stick.

Golightly was found guilty by a jury of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, affray, having an offensive weapon and damaging property, after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

At the same court yesterday he was given an indefinite jail term for public protection and told he must serve a minimum of four years before being considered for parole.

But Judge John Milford warned him: "You will not be automatically released at that time.

"It will be a matter for the parole board as to whether or not they let you back into society.

"There is a serious risk you will commit further offences involving serious harm to the public.

"You are a dangerous offender."

During the trial police sergeant Samantha Rennison fought back tears as she re-lived the moment she thought PC Martin had been killed before her eyes.

Sgt Rennison had been first to arrive at the scene that morning and PC Martin arrived after she called for assistance when she saw Golightly in the street armed with a weapon.

Sgt Rennison told jurors: "Dave Martin came to my assistance.

"He stopped his traffic car in front of my police car. PC Martin got out of the car and I got out of the car to talk to him.

"We were walking towards each other and I said 'he's just gone in that house'.

"The front door opened and Golightly came out of the front door with two swords, one in each hand, and just came running down the footpath, straight in the direction of Dave.

"There was absolutely nothing I could do, I think I started screaming at this point.

"I think PC Martin shouted to put them down and there was a very slight pause.

"Golightly was right in front of him and he just put the larger of the swords straight down on PC Martin's head.

"He just swung it down onto the top of Dave's head.

"Dave seemed to fall forward and I thought he had been killed."

Sgt Rennison said Golightly, of Drummond Crescent, South Shields, was "going beserk" when more officers arrived and restrained him.

She said: "He was just going absolutely wild."

The court heard despite the alleged blow with the sword, PC Martin did not suffer any serious injury.

Sgt Rennison said: "It could never happen again and someone be so lucky, I've looked back and thought how on earth could someone walk away from that, but he did."

Traffic officer PC Martin told jurors he had arrived at the scene after hearing a call for assistance on his radio.

He said Sgt Rennison had just pointed out Golightly's house when he burst out.

PC Martin said: "I turned to look at it and at that moment the front door burst open.

"I saw the offender, Mr Golightly, come straight out of the door.

"He ran towards me. He had both arms above his head and I immediately recognised he had two samurai swords, on in each hand, one distinctly longer than the other one.

"He came towards me and he was in an absolute rage, he screamed at me, he said, 'come on, I'm going to f****** kill you'.

"I was terrified.

"I raised my CS gas and aimed it towards Mr Golightly's face and shouted ' put them down'.

"There was no response whatsoever, he kept on coming.

"I discharged the incapacitant at his face which appeared to have no effect whatsoever on him.

"I lunged at Mr Golightly, whether by training or instinct I couldn't honestly tell you, I wanted to shorten the distance between myself and him.

"I knew, inevitably, one of those swords was going to come down on me. I wanted to shorten the distance so he couldn't get a clean strike.

"I came into contact with him, grabbed hold of him and I was entangled.

"At that point I felt the impact on the right hand side of my head.

"I felt a dull thud to my head, I think I was so fired up on adrenalin at that point, I don't know what I felt.

"I knew it was what he was holding in his hand, the samurai sword, was what impacted with my head.

"I felt the aftermath of the impact, a constant pain."

Detective Inspector Chris Sybenga, from South Tyneside Area Command, said: "I am pleased with today's sentence which reflects the seriousness of this crime.

"This attack was a horrific experience for all officers involved and could potentially have had far more serious consequences. I would like to commend the officers for acting with extreme bravery during this incident and ensuring Golightley was arrested despite the danger to themselves.

"Police officers can at times find themselves in dangerous and violent situations, but Northumbria Police officers are among some of the best trained and equipped in the country.

"We will continue to look to the courts to provide deterrent sentences in order to protect police officers who are attacked and injured while carrying out their duties protecting and helping the public and making our communities safer.

"As a result of this sentence, a persistent offender has been taken off the streets."