A MAN who got drunk and threatened to commit suicide on the North Wales railway line has been jailed for breaching his criminal behaviour order.

William Griffiths, 63, of Nant y Coed in Holywell, admitted he caused distress and alarm on Tuesday by threatening to kill himself and by being intoxicated in a public place.

A court heard Griffiths had been sober for three months but went out and drank after he received a torrent of abuse from youngsters.

District judge Roger Lowe, sitting at North East Wales Magistrates Court at Mold, said it was a deliberate breach of an order made last October.

The two year order was less than four months old and he had already breached it twice, he said.

It put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence, imposed for the earlier breaches, and Griffiths was jailed for five months and ordered to pay a £115 surcharge.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said police were called to attend the Holy Trinity Church at Greenfield to a report of a man who was suicidal and who wanted to go down to the railway line.

The church was used as a community centre, there was a martial arts class going on and it was very busy with children and parents.

Police saw Griffiths sitting with two women who were trying to calm him down.

He shouted at one woman "you have called the f...... police" and she reassured him it was because of her concern for his welfare.

The officer formed the opinion that Griffiths was extremely drunk and he was unsteady on his feet.

He became upset, said he would go to prison and said he would kill himself.

Other officers arrived and it was decided that the best thing would be to contact a member of his family so arrangements could be made to take him home.

His daughter was contacted and while she was on her way he became unpredictable, attempted to push an officer in order to leave, and at one stage picked up stones and threw them.

He became aggressive and shouted at police.

Officers were unable to calm him down, he continued with his aggressive behaviour and he was arrested.

He had to be restrained and in the police station he blew a reading of 76 microgrammes - compared to the legal limit of 35 for a driver.

An empty bottle of vodka was found in his possession.

Mike Pugh, defending, said his client suffered a breakdown last year when his 13 year marriage ended.

He had not been drinking for three months and had remained sober over Christmas and the New Year.

Following a previous court appearance, images of him had been circulated on social media and he had received a lot of abuse from youngsters.

It had got to the stage where he only left the house for a four minute walk to the shop because of the abuse he received.

On Tuesday he went to the shop during the day and received a torrent of abuse and he decided to take himself out of the area.

He felt down and had suicidal thoughts, although he had no real intention of carrying out the threats, said Mr Pugh.

In his state of mind he had two pints and a quarter bottle of vodka.

He went to Rhyl and on the way home got off the bus at Greenfield, went to the church and spoke to two women.

Griffiths believed it was quite an amicable conversation but a call was made to the police because of concerns about his welfare and he accepted he became agitated at that point.

"He should have settled down and gone home with his daughter but unfortunately the drink had taken over," Mr Pugh explained.

It was clear that he was making good progress with the probation service and other agencies.

He had stopped counselling for the three months he was sober but now took the view that he still needed that support.

Probation officer Jonny Belbin said Griffiths had engaged well and had gone three months without alcohol, but obviously something had happened which triggered the offence.

He said the probation service was willing to continue to work with him.