A man wielding a machete who nearly hacked off his victim’s hand has been jailed for six and a-half years.

33 year old Shaan Roker appeared in the High Court at Dunedin this morning after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and assaulting a female.

A charge of attempted murder was previously dropped.

Justice Gendall says Roker's attack showed an “extreme level of violence” and the blow from the machete left the victim's hand hanging on by skin alone.