A MAN who knocked a woman's tooth out in a cowardly street attack has been jailed.

Keith Kidd, of Llwyn Aled in Whitford Street, Holywell, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court on Thursday afternoon.

The 35-year-old had been found guilty after a trial of one offence of assault by beating and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, told the court that at around 1.30pm on July 30 last year, a woman named Amelia Wright was walking through Holywell with her sister Joanne Wright.

They went to Tesco in the town and after exiting, Amelia Wright spotted the defendant walking on the opposite side of the road with a female and a child.

She made a comment to her sister, referring to Kidd selling items online which were similar to ones stolen from her home.

The female walking with Kidd pointed at her and said she wanted a word.

The defendant and female approached, when "out of nowhere," Kidd assaulted Amelia Wright by punching her to the head.

As she fell backwards over a brick wall, Kidd followed up by repeatedly punching her with both hands to the back of the head "about 20 times."

He then pulled her head backwards and forced her face into the wall before continuing to hit her to the face and back.

The Leader: Keith Kidd (NWP)Keith Kidd (NWP) (Image: North Wales Police)Amelia Wright lost one tooth and was left with another loose as a result of the attack, as well as various lumps and bruises to her head.

Joanne Wright attempted to pull Kidd away at that point - but he punched her three times to the face.

He then turned as if to approach his first victim once more, but members of the public intervened.

Among them was an off-duty security guard, who described the incident as appearing like "a boxing match" which he felt "compelled" to stop.

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In her victim impact statement, Joanna Wright said she is almost 60 and was left in "extreme pain" after the attack.

She said seeing her sister being attacked left her "petrified."

Following his arrest, Kidd claimed Amelia Wright had been the aggressor and he'd been acting in self defence.

Jemma Gordon, defending, told the court while her client did have previous offences of violence on his record, he had managed to remain out of trouble for a period of time.

She said: "He has struggled in the past with drug misuse.

"He told the probation service that since these offences last year, he's stopped using in particular heroin.

"That's some demonstration of the steps he wishes to take to change himself.

"He wants to move away from the area and make a clean start.

"Continually being before the court is not the position he wants to be in going forward."

Ms Gordon said while her client accepted he was facing a custodial sentence, she asked the court to consider drawing back and allowing him to "build on the progress he has made so far."

"He appreciates it's a serious offence," she said.

"And he's ashamed of how he has reacted and behaved."

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Kidd: "The expressions of remorse when you were interviewed by the probation service have a hollow ring to them - they can't carry any weight.

"If you had any remorse, you wouldn't have run a trial.

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"You were throwing your weight around against two women in the street.

"It was cowardly, seeking to punish a woman - who was plainly no match for you - for what she said.

"Very unpleasant injuries were caused."

Judge Rowlands jailed Kidd for two years.