A man has admitted stabbing a female police officer in the face with a pen.

Adrian Popa, 40, attacked Pc Alexandra Dobbs as she attempted to handcuff him in the garden of a house in Edgware on the morning of August 16 last year.

When he refused to co-operate, she Tasered him and he shouted “kill you” before attacking her.

The stabbing to her face and neck was caught on police body worn video.

She had gone to the residential property in Manor Park Crescent in response to a report from neighbours that Popa was there in breach of bail conditions.

He was subsequently charged with Pc Dobbs’ attempted murder and wounding with intent, but ahead of his Old Bailey trial on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges of making a threat to kill and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The prosecution accepted the pleas and asked for the remaining charges to lie on file.

Adjourning sentencing until Friday, Judge Richard Marks QC said: “This was clearly a very serious matter involving an attack on a serving police officer and a threat to kill her.

“It plainly merits and demands an immediate custodial sentence.”