A French language student smiled at his victims as he embarked on a frenzied knifing spree - just hours after being cleared of raping a woman, a court was told.

Less than 24 hours after he was acquitted, Eric Samo struck in Middlesbrough, targeting people at random.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 29-year-old burst into a terraced house where he attacked student Richard Laven, 21, severing a main artery in his arm.

He then slashed 41-year-old Marlene Hunter, the mother of Mr Laven's girfriend, across the throat. Both needed emergency hospital treatment.

Samo, of Glentworth House, Netherfields, Middlesbrough, then attacked six police officers, before being overpowered.

The episode had been predicted by his own barrister - but the lawyer was too late to warn others.

His current lawyer Peter Makepeace read a statement from barrister Michael Bosomworth, who had successfully defended Samo during the week-long rape trial last October.

He had been frightened by Samo's transformation during the case, saying: "He was almost like a wild animal. There was a degree of menace. I was genuinely frightened.''

The barrister went to warn the judge and ask that a doctor attend but the rape trial jury returned a not guilty verdict and Samo was released.

Psychiatrists who examined Samo after the knife attacks said they believed he was suffering from an "acute and transient psychotic disorder", possibly brought on by the stress of his trial.

Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said that witnesses described how Samo had "an evil grin on his face'' when he burst into Mr Laven's house in Acton Street on October 11.

During the rape trial, also at Teesside Crown Court, he was accused of holding a 28-year-old woman at knifepoint before carrying out the sex attack.

Judge Mr Justice Henriques directed the jury to a return a verdict of not guilty to two charges of attempted murder and four counts of attempting to wound with intent - by reason of insanity.

Samo, who parents are from Cameroon, was remanded in custody until April 7 when the judge will decide whether he should be an in or outpatient at St Lukes Psychiatric Hospital, Middlesbrough.