A DISABLED man attacked one of his sisters with a mop handle and grabbed another around the throat in an ongoing family feud, a court heard.

Keith Sutton, 63, of School Street, Rhostyllen, Wrexham, maintained he acted in self-defence and to protect his mother and third sister – but was convicted after a trial.

He was fined £300 and ordered to pay £500 in costs at North East Wales Magistrates Court.

The Mold court heard a major rift had emerged in the family following the death of Sutton’s father in March.

On one side were sisters Amanda Williams and Janet Valentine, with Sutton and his third sister Christina Sutton on the other.

The latter pair had been looking after their mother Gwyneth, 88, and had not allowed the two sisters to visit the family home on Hill Street, Rhostyllen, to see her.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court: “Since their father’s death there have been issues over the will, with the whole estate going to the mother.

“As such Mandy and Janet had not seen their mother since March 2018.”

On Wednesday, July 11, at about 8pm Amanda and Janet tried to visit their mother with Amanda’s son, walked around the back of her property and waited by an open window until she walked past.

When this happened, they asked her if she wanted to see them and she reportedly agreed. But then Christina came into the kitchen, closed the window and the defendant was notified.

He arrived at the property to confront the sisters, refusing to allow them inside to see their mother, the court heard.

Things swiftly became heated and Sutton is said to have grabbed Janet around the throat and punch her in the face.

“She told him she was calling the police and that her nephew was filming the incident on his mobile phone,” said Ms Jackson.

“Keith then picked up two long mop handles and used them to strike Mandy across the face.”

At this point the sisters retreated to the road and police officers arrived at the scene.

Photos of Amanda’s injuries - grazes to her thumb and ear – were shown to the court.

In his police interview, Sutton denied the assaults and said his two sisters had entered the address to cause problems and were upsetting both Christina and their mother.

A probation officer, who compiled a pre-sentence report, told the court Sutton was struggling to deal with the decision to convict him.

He admitted losing his temper but maintained he was verbally and physically abused by his sisters, and only used the mop handle to push them away as they tried to kick him.

The former owner of a roofing business, he was now registered disabled following a fall and had no previous convictions.

Sentencing, District Judge Merion Lewis-Jones told Sutton: “This is a sad reflection of how family disputes can escalate and result in court proceedings.

"It is very sad to see a man of your age coming before the courts and being convicted of assaults on his two sisters.

“It is fanciful of me to think this will draw a line under all this. I hope you will use this experience as a wake-up call that you must never get involved to the extent that you did.”

The sisters had requested a restraining order be imposed but the district judge said that was not appropriate.