A MAN behind bars after being found guilty of a Samurai sword attack had his conviction overturned by London's Criminal Appeal Court yesterday.

Describing it as "one of the rare cases" where inconsistency in jury verdicts caused a doubt about the conviction, Mr Justice Gage ordered Lee Grant to face a retrial.

Grant, 23, of Braydon Drive, North Shields, North Tyneside, was jailed for four years after being found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court in July last year of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

He was found not guilty of two counts of aggravated burglary and the jury could not reach a verdict on a charge of affray, which was left on the file.

Mr Justice Gage, sitting with Lord Justice Latham and Mr Justice Eady, said two other men were jailed for seven years after being found guilty of aggravated burglary.

In arguing for a retrial, Grant's barrister, Nicholas Cartmell, said the jury's guilty verdict was inconsistent with their acquittals on other charges and their failure to reach a verdict on another.

Mr Justice Gage said the sole evidence against Grant was in the form of statements from two men, who did not go into the witness box and were not cross-examined.