A MAN who turned to alcohol at 12 and who was said to be violent in drink tried to strangle a BT engineer to get his vehicle ignition keys.

Warren John Davies, 22, then drove off in the BT van and was on the wrong side of the road driving at speed when stopped by police in a road block.

At the time of the robbery he was on bail – for earlier attempting to rob a stranger of his mobile phone in Wrexham.

Davies, of Heol Hyfryd in Gwersyllt, Wrexham, was jailed for a total of six years at Mold Crown Court.

He admitted robbing BT engineer James Michael Jones of the keys and the aggravated taking of his van on January 25, failing to provide a specimen and violent behaviour in a police station, together with the attempted robbery of Jac Wright of his mobile phone at Churchill Drive in Wrexham last August.

Davies, who described his own behaviour as disgusting and apologised, said he could remember little because he was so drunk.

Judge Timothy Petts said he regarded him as a dangerous individual in drink who had developed a pattern of escalating violence involving “random attacks on strangers”.

He had 27 previous convictions including a previous attack on a man in his own home when he threatened to hold him under bath water.

Davies, he said, behaved like a violent thug and his behaviour had a significant impact on his victims.

The judge said he was still young, had mental health issues but many of his problems were self-inflicted through drink which was at the root of his behaviour.

Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing played CCTV footage of the first incident last August when Davies went up to a complete stranger and asked him if he knew where he could get weed.

When he said he did not, Davies asked for his mobile phone, was refused and Davies grabbed him, pulled him around the corner, punched him repeatedly to the head, claimed he had a knife and threatened to stab him if he did not hand over his phone.

The victim tried to run into a shop for safety but was followed and members of the public, a family with children, intervened to protect him. Davies was driven away by a woman in a silver car.

It had a significant impact on the victim who feared going out, had lost confidence and who suffered from depression and anxiety.

Despite the CCTV evidence Davies denied it was him and said he had been with a friend all day.

While on bail for that offence he approached a BT engineer working in the Hazel Court area of Flint and asked what he was laughing at before challenging him to a fight.

The engineer tried to ignore him and got on with his job but was grabbed around the neck and he was forced to hand over his ignition keys to prevent being strangled.

Davies drove off in the van – asking some females if they wanted to go for a spin – and police saw it being driven at speed on the wrong side of the road in Halkyn Street.

The road was blocked and it ended up partly in a hedge.

He was intoxicated, provided a positive roadside test but refused to provide a sample at the police station, was aggressive with police and told an officer to f… off.

The engineer told how he was extremely shocked that while he was minding his own business and getting on with his work a stranger approached and attacked him. It had left him feeling shaken and nervous.

Robert Davies, defending, said Davies – who remained handcuffed throughout – accepted his own behaviour was disgusting but had very little recall.

He remembers some sort of confrontation in Wrexham and while in Flint he had been assaulted by the use of a knuckle duster, was knocked unconscious and just wanted to get out of town by any means.

But he knew he had acted deplorably towards the innocent BT engineer.

He began drinking alcohol at 12 and took the view that he was better off in jail.

It was accepted that in drink he resorted to violence but while in custody there had been two significant events which had changed his attitude and he hoped to tackle his issues – he had missed the birth of his daughter and he had been forced to reflect on his future after speaking to a fellow prisoner who had been inside for 10 years.

He was a violent man in drink but there was light at the end of the tunnel.

For the first time he was prepared to speak about the issues that troubled him, and about the nightmares he had.

He described himself as having a front, a hard shell which he developed over the years to protect himself.

“Finally perhaps cracks are showing in that shell that can be exploited by the defendant himself and by the professionals within the prison service,” he said.

PC Danielle Timmins, of North Wales Police, said after the sentencing hearing: “ This was a serious crime involving unprovoked violence.

"Davies has been given the sentence his criminal behaviour deserves.”