A drunken man who attacked a teenager daubed graffiti on a police cell wall by using his own blood.

Lee Terence Jones, 32, sent the young man to the floor outside Attik in Wrexham with a punch in the early hours of December 22, causing bleeding to his face and mouth.

Sheyanne Lee, prosecuting at Wrexham Magistrates Court, said while in custody at Wrexham Police Station Jones used blood from a cut in his hand to write his first name and draw a “smiley face” on the cell wall.

Jones, of Pentre Street in Llay, told police when interviewed that he had done so because he was drunk, but gave no comment about the assault.

The court saw CCTV footage showing Jones, who was wearing a Santa hat at the time, punching the youngster, with members of the public restraining him at one point. There were also photographs of the cell wall and the teenager’s injuries.

Miss Lee said the offence was aggravated by alcohol and the fact that the teenager was on the ground for some time after the punch.

District judge Gwyn Jones heard Jones had 31 previous convictions for 64 offences, including six Offences against the Person.

 Probation officer Andrew Connah said Jones expressed remorse and appeared to understand that there could have been serious consequences following his behaviour and even worse injuries to the teenager than he suffered.

Jones told Mr Connah he no longer had an alcohol problem but had been binge-drinking with a friend on the night in question.

He claimed the teenager had provoked him to a certain extent, but accepted he should have walked away and not acted as he did.  

Mr Connah said Jones seemed to have turned his life around, particularly in relation to use of cocaine and cannabis.

He was doing shift work at a dairy in the area and had not been in trouble for some 12 months.

The probation officer recommended a suspended sentence and a curfew.

Jones had pleaded guilty at previous hearing on December 23 to causing actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

Justine McVitie, defending, said Jones had abided by a curfew while on bail, adding that she did not think anyone could be more remorseful than he was.

She said Jones had quite clearly turned his life around and asked the judge to deal with him “as leniently as possible, bearing in mind public duty and the circumstances”.  

The judge said he was quite satisfied custody was “more than justified”, as the teenager had been hit with sufficient force to knock him to the floor.

He told Jones: “You are very fortunate in some respects that the injuries were not more serious.”

He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, and ordered to follow a 7pm to 4.30pm curfew for 16 weeks.

He was banned from on-licensed premises in Wrexham county borough for 26 weeks.

He must also pay £500 in compensation to the teenager, £100 to North Wales Police, a £115 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.