A police officer texted his girlfriend to say he was "off to cause trouble" on the night he was severely injured in a machete attack, a court has heard.

Pc Stuart Outten, 29, was badly hurt as he tried to arrest white van driver Muhammad Rodwan, 56, during a routine stop in Leyton, east London, in August last year.

In graphic body-worn footage, handyman Rodwan was heard chopping at Pc Outten before being Tasered by the heavily bleeding Metropolitan Police officer.

Pc Outten suffered six wounds to the head, skull fractures, injuries to the arm and broken fingers, the Old Bailey has heard.

Afterwards, Rodwan claimed he had acted in self-defence and on being charged allegedly said: "My life is worth more than his life."

On the second day on his trial, jurors were shown video of the incident taken from mobile phone footage and officers' body-worn cameras.

Under cross-examination, investigating officer Detective Constable Clinton Lennon was asked about a text Pc Outten had sent to his girlfriend earlier that night.

Defence barrister Michael Turner QC said: "It came to your attention, did it not, that Mr Outten had on the night given a text to his girlfriend or partner, who is a fellow officer?"

Det Con Lennon replied: "That is correct."

Mr Turner said the text stated: "Right I'm off to cause trouble. Stay safe and I will chat when I can."

Giving evidence, Pc Outten told jurors he had been an officer for 10 years and four months before the incident.

On August 7 last year, he had been on a night shift as part of a Waltham Forest emergency response team.

He was in uniform with stab vest and had a baton and Taser loaded with two shots, he said.

Pc Outten said he was "on the lookout" for traffic offences when he came across a "suspicious" white van.

He asked his colleague Pc Helen Brooks to run the details through the police computer.

He told jurors: "I believed the vehicle was driving on the road without insurance and my intention was to stop the vehicle, speak to the driver, investigate, seize (the vehicle) if no proof could be obtained and let the driver on their way with a ticket."

Rodwan, from Luton, Bedfordshire, denies attempted murder, an alternative of wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon.