A psychiatric patient attacked police with a samurai sword because he feared that they were Masons and planned to kill him, a court heard yesterday.

One officer was badly wounded as he used his baton to block Roy Kumar Gajree’s blows.

Police went to his Edinburgh flat on August 5 after a neighbour complained about hearing shouting and swearing.

But when Gajree opened the door, he attacked them. PC Craig McCall later required a five-hour operation to his left hand.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr. John Crichton told the High Court in Edinburgh that Gajree, 40, believed the officers who came to his door "were Masons and had the intention of killing him".

Dr. Crichton added: "I think, with the benefit of hindsight, the dosage of his medication was low.

Psychiatric outpatient Gajree was initially charged with attempting to murder PC McCall and his colleague Andrew Kendall, John Starling and Brian Manchester.

But he was tried on a reduced charge of assaulting the officer, striking PC McCall with the sword to his severe injury and injuring PC Stirling.

After a 20 minute hearing, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the grounds that Gajree was insane at the time.

Lord Reed ordered that he should be detained in a mental hospital.

Daily Mail, 25 November 2004.