Man admits police knife attack

A man has pleaded guilty to a knife attack which left a 23-year-old policeman needing 50 stitches to his face.

At Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, Karl Canavy, 25, who is a French national but was born in Guyana, admitted unlawfully wounding Pc James Hardingham.

Pc Hardingham was helping close a road after a crash near Stansted, Essex, in July last year when he was approached by Canavy and slashed across the face, the court heard.

The attack left the officer with a cut which ran from his ear to his mouth.

He has now returned to work full-time.

'Unprovoked attack'

Sentencing was adjourned until 8 July and police said it was likely a judge would impose an order under the Mental Health Act.

Detective Sergeant Vaughan High from Essex police said: "This was a totally unprovoked attack on a police officer who was simply doing his job serving the public.

"The officer offered to help a man and instead received a blow to his face - a nasty wound needing 50 stitches leaving him scarred for life."

Police said Canavy, who is unemployed, had entered Britain legally although officers are not sure why he was in the country.