A woman suffered a terrifying ordeal after a man forced his way into her home and beat her up before cutting her throat.

The desperate attacker ? who Police said was a former friend of the victim ? then made a violent attempt to evade arrest by chopping at three Police cars with a machete.

The frightening chain of events started at 4.45 a.m. on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Devonshire woman was woken in the early hours by the man trying to break into her property.

The victim went to the door of her North Shore home and saw the offender had forced his way inside.

A Bermuda Police spokesman said that once in the house, the man started attacking the woman, "beating her about the head and body".

He added: "The suspect then took a knife and cut the victim across her throat resulting in the women receiving a six-inch slight laceration to the throat."

He said the woman tried to fight off the intruder before he escaped on his motorbike.

Officers said the victim went for help in a nearby hotel in Hamilton, but the man returned and concerned security staff called the Police.

As officers arrived they spotted the man riding off ? and a high-speed chase started through streets of Hamilton.

The man fell off his bike at the corner of Reid and Burnaby streets, and the Police spokesman said he then started to make "aggressive overtures" at officers.

He chopped three patrol cars with a machete before Police subdued the man after a violent struggle.

Police confirmed that no officers were injured as they made the arrest.

The female victim was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where she was released after treatment for the throat injury.

An investigation into the assault and chase was launched on Saturday, led by Acting Inspector Robert Cardwell.

n A 24-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident on suspicion of assault and violently resisting arrest. He had not been charged as The Royal Gazette went to Press last night.