A man in his 50s was sitting on a bench in Holywell town centre when he was punched, kicked and stamped upon in an unprovoked attack.

Two men responsible for the terrifying incident on Friday night were so drunk that they could not remember anything about it, a Mold court was told.

The attackers, Joshua Roberts, 19, and Darren Thomas, 31, who had been drinking all day, were “disgusted with themselves” when they saw CCTV footage of what they had done.

Roberts, of Meadow Bank and Thomas, of Nant y Coed, both Holywell, admitted an affray charge after the victim refused to make a complaint of assault.

The defendant Roberts also admitted assaulting a police officer and possessing cannabis.

Both were remanded in custody at Flintshire Magistrates Court pending sentence at Mold Crown Court next month.

Magistrates said the assault was nasty and cowardly.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said it was an completely unprovoked attack on a man aged 59 who had refused to provide a statement of complaint.

She said the prosecution had photographs of the injuries which had been inflicted and the attack had been captured on the town centre CCTV.

Thomas was seen to kick the victim in the face.

Roberts punched him in the face and walked away – only to return and kick him before punching him several times.

Thomas began to punch him to the body and both kicked him several times to the head and body, said Miss Tench.

Roberts could be seen stamping on him.

While in custody, Roberts put his foot in the door of his cell and during a struggle he kicked an officer in the face.

A captor spray had to be deployed.

Roberts claimed to have suffered blackouts and accepted that while intoxicated he had assaulted the man,

Thomas told officers his own behaviour was disgusting.

Solicitor Simon Simmons, defending, said both had entered immediate guilty pleas.

“They don’t recall a single thing,” he told the court.

Both were contrite when they saw what they had done on the CCTV footage which had been played to them at the police station.

Roberts had said it was horrible and he should not be on the street while Thomas had been disgusted with himself when he saw what he had done.

When sober, both were every day men who would not go out hitting people on a bench in the street but when in drink they had acted in a way which disgusted them, said Mr Simmons.

Roberts’ cannabis was for personal use.

Thomas had a background of epilepsy and schizophrenia, Mr Simmons said.

They were both being very realistic and would not be applying for bail pending sentence, he said.

Magistrates said it was a really nasty, cowardly attack which could have resulted in injuries which were a lot worse.