A THUG who threatened a woman and her teenage son at knifepoint then stabbed two police officers has been jailed indefinitely to protect the public.

Leon Smith acted like 'a man possessed' as he stabbed the two officers and injured two of their colleagues, a court heard.

He told them they would 'get a bullet in the head' and one officer feared he would die, Manchester crown court heard.

Smith, 24, from Blackley, was jailed indefinitely for public protection and will only be considered for release after seven-and-a-half years.

A judge branded him a 'dangerous young man' and said the public would be at risk from his re-offending.

Smith broke into a flat on Rudd Street, Moston, and subjected Joanne McNally, her husband Anthony and their son Jordan, 16, to a 'terrifying ordeal', the court heard.

Mr McNally, a postman, jumped out of a top-floor window to raise the alarm and fractured his foot.

In a statement he told how the attack had 'destroyed our lives'.

The court heard Smith held a bread knife to the throat of their 16-year-old son Jordan and said: "Don't mess or you will get sliced".

Asthma attack

He also denied Mrs McNally access to her inhaler after she had an asthma attack. Smith, who had only just been released from prison at the time of the offence, has 27 previous convictions for 61 offences.

Judge Clement Goldstone QC said: "I have no doubt that you present a significant risk to the public of serious physical injury. You are indeed a dangerous young man. You destroyed their lives, not my words, theirs. And small wonder."

Smith also admitted a separate 'prolonged and furious' axe attack on a man inside his Tameside home.

Smith and an accomplice forced their way through the McNally's front door then stole a bicycle and left in the early hours of October 6 last year, the court was told.

The family ran out to investigate before going back inside.

The pair though returned and Smith picked up a bread knife and waved it at Mrs McNally.

Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said the couple's son intervened and Smith pushed him back into the kitchen before he held the knife to his throat.

The court heard the teenager nearly fainted. Mrs McNally and her son were then frogmarched at knifepoint back up the stairs to get money and the thugs searched and ransacked rooms.

Mr Fryman said Mrs McNally 'showed signs' of an asthma attack but Smith stopped her son from getting her inhaler. Both were then taken downstairs and Smith held the knife to Mrs McNally's wrists and throat as she sat on her son's knee to shield him.

She was then repeatedly punched about the face and body.

Pleas

Her son said Smith appeared to be 'getting off' on the violence and ignored his pleas to attack him instead of his mother, the court heard.

Smith's accomplice fled but he remained and he tried to 'rush past' police when they arrived.

The court heard he lunged towards Sgt Christopher Flint's abdomen with the bread knife but missed and stabbed his arm.

He then produced a second knife and stabbed Pc Philip Bainbridge three times in the knee.

Mr Fryman said: "Sgt Flint thought that he was going to be killed. He thought that if he did not get hold of the male he would die. He avoided the main thrust and was stabbed to the arm in a violent struggle. It spilled out onto the hallway. Smith was thrashing about rapidly with his hands."

Pc Bainbridge suffered three deep cuts and Sgt Flint needed eight stitches to his wound.

Mr Fryman added: "Mr Smith told the officers that they would get a bullet to the head. Other officers arrived to assist and there was a violent struggle. One was punched and another was covered with glass."

Smith also admitted attacking a man with an axe at his flat in Hattersley in November 2007. The court heard that victim David Kendrick needed 14 staples to a head wound and said in a statement that the apparently motiveless attack had 'taken part of his life'.

Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of wounding with intent, assault with intent, aggravated burglary and assault with intent to resist arrest.