A MAN apologised in court after magistrates heard how he had thrown an ashtray at his partner and had chased her down the street.

Police officers who went to the house found that the bannister had been broken.

But he shouted aggressively at officers from an upstairs window and threatened to set two dogs on them if they entered.

Philip Sephton Hughes went on to assault two police officers.

North East Wales Magistrates Court was told Hughes had attended the funeral of an aunt who had been like a second mother to him.

Hughes told the court: “I do apologise. I was very distressed.

“I would like help from probation and sort my life out.”

He revealed he had also been under the pressure of a £15,000 debt.

The Mold court heard Hughes, 32, of Tan y Bryn in Greenfield, originally pleaded not guilty but he changed his pleas on the day of trial.

He admitted a pubic order offence, two charges of assaulting emergency workers and a charge of common assault upon his partner Lara Jane Cartlidge.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said just before midnight on January 22 police received a call from Miss Cartlidge to say that her boyfriend had thrown an ashtray in her face.

She was running down the street and he was chasing her.

Officers were made aware that she had gone to her mother’s home.

Police went to the couple’s home and the defendant was in an upstairs window and when asked to come down he asked to see their warrant.

He was informed that they did not need a warrant but he continued to shout aggressively out of the window at police.

The complainant was described as being disheveled, had a lump above the eye and she had a large egg-shaped lump to the left of her head.

She described how they had been to his aunt’s funeral that day, they both had some drink and had started arguing.

Other officers arrived, Hughes refused to leave the house and he threw a mobile phone out of the window which struck an officer.

A forced entry was made, Hughes came downstairs and he struggled and resisted officers.

He struck one officer to the eye and to the testicles with his knee and as he was being placed in a police vehicle he spat towards a police officer but fortunately it missed.

Probation officer Tracey Flavell said Hughes accepted full responsibility and was very remorseful.

Mrs Flavell said there were clearly underlying beliefs and attitudes around his controlling behaviour in relationships that needed to be addressed. He had been in a “poor emotional state” in the time leading up to the offences.

He understood that work needed to be done to resolve the issues that led to the incident.

The defendant worked shifts as a machine setter in a factory and he had been with the same employer for nine years.

Hughes thanked magistrates after they placed him on an 18 month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation.

He was ordered to carry out 160 hours unpaid work, to pay £50 compensation to each of the two police officers.

Hughes was ordered to pay £620 prosecution costs.