A man on trial for trying to kill a police officer by repeatedly stabbing him with a pair of scissors is a serial flasher who had been freed from jail just two days before the alleged attack.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court was told today (December 5) that the accused, Robert Jenner, has 11 previous convictions for offences of exposure committed on 11 separate occasions.

The 50-year-old, once dubbed The Naked Carpenter for doing DIY in the nude, has also been convicted on two occasions for breaching a court order which prohibits him from wearing see-through clothing in public - and had been released from a prison sentence, imposed for a breach, on June 13 last year.

Details of Jenner’s criminal past were revealed as the prosecution reached the end of its case against him on charges of attempted murder and the alternative, less serious offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He is said to have “launched himself” at PC Sean Quinn, stabbing him multiple times “with ferocity”, just before 9pm on June 15 last year.

The constable and a colleague had gone to his home in Albion Place, Maidstone, after receiving a report at 7.50pm of a “completely naked” man having been seen running in nearby Mote Park while carrying a backpack and nipping in and out of bushes exposing himself to women.

It was their previous knowledge of Jenner plus a description fitting his appearance that gave them cause to believe that he was the culprit.

But it was when entry had been forced into his first-floor flat after an “abusive and aggressive” Jenner had barricaded the front door with an upturned sofa that he lashed out at PC Quinn.

In distressing footage captured by the 59-year-old officer’s bodyworn camera and shown in court, he was stabbed 23 times and left lying in a pool of blood with wounds to his head, face, neck and arm, including a large gash across his forehead which exposed his skull.

It is the prosecution case that Jenner, who was naked at the time, deliberately targeted exposed areas of the constable’s body as he was wearing a stab vest.

Just hours earlier that day at 1.40pm Jenner had gone to the front counter of Maidstone police station to retrieve items including see-through clothing that had been seized from him on another occasion.

However, when his request was refused in the belief he would wear the clothes and in doing so commit an offence, Jenner left the police station, having first commented on the weather to a member of the public before saying, “I’m going to strip off now, w*****s”.

As well as hearing of his previous convictions, the jury was told by prosecutor Daniel Stevenson that in relation to those offences, Jenner has stated that he believes he is a naturist and that this is his human right.

It was also said that apart from his criminal record for exposure, he has no convictions for other sexual offences or for ones of violence.

Jenner, described as “anti-police” by one of PC Quinn’s colleagues, has not attended his trial and, although legally represented, no evidence was called on his behalf.

But Judge Philip St.John- Stevens told the jurors that the defendant’s right to choose to not be present should not be held against him.

“It provides no support for the prosecution case,” he added.

It is his case that he acted in self-defence from what he believed to be an unlawful arrest or unlawful entry into his flat, and that he never intended to kill or cause serious injury.

During the trial, PC Quinn and the colleagues with him that night have given evidence, reliving the stand-off as Jenner refused to open his door, the attempt to force entry and, once inside, the moment of the scissor attack.

The injured officer told how he had warned Jenner to “drop the scissors” and that if he went into the flat himself there would be “a tussle” between them.

But he said that after he had clambered over furniture and followed Jenner into a kitchen lounge area, there was only a “split second” before he was attacked, giving him no time to draw any of his own protective equipment such as his baton, handcuffs or PAVA spray.

PC Ashley Bates described hearing “a cry of anguish” as the attack unfolded and then having to punch Jenner several times to the head before he desisted.

“I immediately ran over to his aid and grabbed the defendant's right arm that had the scissors in to prevent him causing any further injury to PC Quinn…”

The court also heard today from PC Luke Isaacs who had feared his colleague would die as he saw Jenner repeatedly “jabbing” at his head with the scissors.

The officer had been called to the flat with equipment known as an ‘enforcer’ to gain entry.

He did not know Jenner but had earlier that evening gone to Mote Park with his colleague PC Sophie Groves to look for the man reported to be exposing himself to women.

PC Isaacs told the court that once the front door had been split into two and he and PC Quinn were in the hallway, he heard his colleague order Jenner, standing behind the upturned sofa, to “Drop the scissors.”

He said he could not see Jenner or the scissors himself at that point but when PC Quinn began to move towards the door leading into the lounge kitchen area, he spotted “a figure” with a sharp, metallic object clasped in his right hand.

“There was a lot of blood around his head and neck area. I didn't know if he was going to make it at that point…”

PC Isaacs then described it being jabbed in a downward motion to the officer’s head as the door to the room closed on PC Quinn and Jenner.

Hearing his colleague’s screams, he told the jury he initially froze before kicking the door open.

Describing the scene inside, PC Isaacs said: “As I have entered the room I have turned to my right and seen PC Quinn lying on his back face-up and the defendant still had - I didn’t know they were scissors at this point - in his right hand and continued to jab PC Quinn in the head and neck area.

“He (Jenner) was knelt over him. There was a lot of blood around his head and neck area. I didn’t know if he was going to make it at that point.

“I immediately ran over to his aid and grabbed the defendant’s right arm that had the scissors in to prevent him causing any further injury to PC Quinn.

“At this point, PC Bates has entered, knelt down to my left and started to punch the defendant in the head in an attempt to make him drop the scissors and I have managed to prise them from his hand and thrown them to my right towards the kitchen cupboards.”

PC Groves told the court in a statement read to the jury that when she entered the room she saw PC Quinn on the floor, his head covered in blood.

A completely naked Jenner was on top of him and also covered in blood as PC Isaacs was trying to prise the scissors from his grip.

As well as the scissor wounds - 19 of which were above the neckline - PC Quinn also suffered a thigh injury. His uniform had also been cut in the shoulder, torso and chest area.

Following his arrest, Jenner had to be questioned by a detective through his custody cell door after he refused to go to an interview room.

Having also declined a solicitor, he mostly answered ‘no comment’ but when asked if he had any injuries, he said his hand was swollen.

The trial continues, with the jury expected to retire to consider its verdict on Monday.