A teenager who attacked an epileptic man in a Rhyl street with a piece of wood and a brick has been told he will have to stay in a Young Offenders Institution for another 12 months.

Shaun Pritchard, who was already serving an 18 months sentence imposed last December, appeared in custody at Mold Crown Court to be sentenced after admitting causing grievous bodily harm on Richard Hartley in May last year.

The 18-year-old was acquitted by a jury on a more serious charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Richard Hartley on the same date.

Mr Hartley was on his way home alone when he was confronted on Trellewelyn Road by Pritchard, who called him names before headbutting his victim, striking him on the head with a piece of wood and then throwing a brick at him.

Mr Hartley suffered a broken nose and a broken wrist, although defence barrister Sarah Yates speculated the latter injury might have happened when the victim suffered an epileptic fit after he had dragged himself back home.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court Mr Hartley said that he was worried about going out and “bumping into” the defendant and he suffered from flashbacks.

Ms Yates said that Pritchard’s current release date was October 15, but said he accepted that would now change.

Judge Rhys Rowlands noted that Pritchard had been sentenced previously in a piecemeal fashion because the courts had not been given a full picture of his pattern of offending.

His previous custodial sentence was for a wounding offence committed in March last year when he stamped on another youngster. He was also convicted of three other assault offences last year, one of which he received a suspended sentence for.

The judge said his 12-month sentence in a YOI would run consecutively to his previous 18-months and noted: “It is plain to see you picked on Mr Hartley and you were throwing your weight around to impress the girls.

“This was an unprovoked assault. You were simply out of control and you were an unpleasant piece of work seeking to bully people.”

He also imposed a restraining order on Pritchard.