A machete attacker was today jailed for 12 years for a savage assault.

Perminder Singh, 32, went on the run for two years after he was found guilty of hacking Balbinder Singh with a machete outside Haigy's Bar, Lumb Lane, Bradford in June 1995.

A national hunt was launched by police and Interpol was also involved after rumours that Singh had escaped to Canada and India.

He was seen by an off-duty police officer in December last year and was arrested in Thornbury.

Passing sentence today, His Honour Judge Rodney Grant described the attack as "savage" and "wicked".

Singh, of Baring Avenue, Bradford Moor, was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon.

Prosecution barrister Neil Clark told the court that Singh, who appeared in the dock handcuffed, was involved in a fight in Haigy's Bar.

"It was a massive brawl which began inside the pub and then moved outside.

"It was outside where the most serious of the three attacks took place.

"Four or five people began to kick Balbinder Singh while he was on the ground.

"While on the ground the Perminder Singh produced a machete, between 18 and 24 inches long, and began to repeatedly strike Balbinder to the head with the weapon. The defendant then returned to the pub and he began to issue threats. He became violent again and used the machete again. It was a scene of extreme violence where people received very unpleasant injuries."

Balbinder Singh, underwent emergency surgery for a fractured skull, and he was in hospital for six months. He now suffers depression, speech problems and has difficulty using his lfet side.

Defence barrister David Mitchell said Perminder Singh has constantly denied the attack.

Judge Grant said: "Balbinder Singh has suffered greatly and he will have great difficulty in living a normal life from now on." He said Perminder Singh's previous convictions - which included a 15 month prison sentence in 1991 for threatening people with a loaded shotgun in a Bradford pub - had been taken into account.

He sentenced him to 12 years for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, three-and-a-half years for violent disorder, two years for possessing an offensive weapon and three months for breach of bail, all to run concurrently.

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