A GWENT woman starts a five-year jail sentence today after an attack on a police sergeant left him with a detached retina.

Sergeant Lyndon John, of Cwmbran police, had major eye surgery after the vicious attack and was off work for more than two months.

He says he is lucky he can still see.

The woman who kicked him in the face and caused the injury was jailed at Cardiff crown court yesterday.

Rebecca Davies, aged 23, of Brunel Road, Fairwater, Cwmbran, was found guilty at an earlier hearing of wounding Sergeant John with intent.

She also pleaded guilty to causing PC Jenny Crebbin actual bodily harm and assaulting PC David Williams.

When she carried out the attacks, said Recorder Philip Rees, she was in "a wild, vicious and violently drunken condition".

The court heard that the incident took place outside the King's Head pub, Station Road, Pontnewydd, at about 10.40pm on September 3.

Davies believed her brother had been attacked and saw him being held down, the court heard.

The Recorder said: "This offence is extremely serious and merits a very substantial sentence."

Two other officers involved were also kicked, said the Recorder.

Stephen Thomas, for Davies, said: "She is genuinely sorry and has written a letter to him. At the time of the offence she was hysterical and the type of injury he received was not anticipated. She was drunk."

He said Davies was prone to mood changes and on that night had not taken medication for a psychotic condition.

"She has no convictions for violence but she has been prone to damaging property and herself. She has slashed her wrists and struck herself," Mr Thomas said.

Speaking to the Argus after the case, Sergeant John, 41, of Pontypool, said: "I was restraining a man when all of a sudden I felt an almighty blow to my face.

"I was taken to casualty and all the central vision in my left eye had gone. It was like looking into a smokescreen."

Sergeant John, a married father of two with more than 20 years experience in the Gwent force, had surgery for holes and tears in his retina.

He said: "They told me there was a 30 per cent chance they couldn't get my vision back and that made me very concerned."

The operation was successful but Sergeant John could not return to work for two-and-a-half months. Now he only works a few hours a week because of problems with his sight.

He added: "I have never been vindictive about the attack, but this verdict does send the right message out. You can't just kick people in the head."