A COUPLE were left hiding in a neighbour's garden in fear after men tried to force their way into their home in the middle of the night, a court heard.

Levi Davidson, aged 25 and of Maes Cwm in Rhyl, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday.

He had previously admitted one offence of affray, which took place in Holywell in 2019.

Myles Wilson, prosecuting, told the court on May 31 that year, complainants Joanna Kent and Michael Swinnerton were woken at around 4am by a noise outside their home in Meadowbank, Holywell.

Ms Kent looked out of the window and saw two males by the front door, with a third in a van parked outside.

When she asked who they were and what they were doing, one told her: "Let me f****** in or else I'll make my way through and open the f****** door."

When Mr Swinnerton looked out he saw one of the males had a metal bar, which he was banging on the door.

They heard glass smash and were so frightened they went out the back door and hid in their neighbour's garden.

The males left, but returned while the couple were back inside the house waiting for the police.

When the banging and smashing began at the front of the house again Mr Swinnerton and Ms Kent left to hide in the garden again.

As police arrived, officers saw the van driving off and followed.

It was later found abandoned with a machete and a replica gas powered pistol inside.

Davidson wasn't there, but his fingerprint was found on the passenger door.

Blood found on the front door of the Meadowbank property was also linked to him by DNA.

In a victim impact statement Ms Kent said the incident had left her feeing anxious, unsafe in her home and confused about why it had happened.

The court heard Davidson was remanded in November 2019 for separate matters and sentenced in January of 2020 to 42 months in jail.

Simon Killeen, defending, said: "There has been a significant delay in this case - he's due to be released in August of this year.

"Had this defendant been sentenced for all of those matters including this affray in January 2020, what would have been the sentence?

"He has two young children who he has not seen for 18 months now and he's only seen his mother one time during the full period of incarceration.

"I invite your honour to pass a sentence that doesn't extend his period in custody, or if it must on you consideration - it doesn't extend it by much."

Mr Killeen said his client was "either at the wrong house or there was some suggestion, wrongly, that the people in the house were connected to drugs and that was the reason people went there looking for drugs."

His Honour Judge Christopher Vosper QC handed Davidson a nine month concurrent sentence, to begin on the day of sentencing.

He said despite increasing the time he will have to spend in custody, he opted to make the sentence concurrent because to make it consecutive would have been "excessive."

Davidson was also made the subject of a five year restraining order prohibiting him from approaching the complainants.