A MAN claimed he tried to "drown the demons out" of his girlfriend by pushing her head into a sink full of water after claiming she was 'possessed'.

Max Brock, aged 21 and of Pangwladys Avenue in Connah's Quay, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court via video link from prison on Tuesday morning.

The defendant had previously admitted offences of affray, criminal damage and assault at previous hearings and was to be sentenced.

However, after hearing the details of the case, a Judge decided he needed more details about Brock's psychiatric history before he could hand down a sentence.

Emmalyne Downing, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant had been in a relationship with victim Victoria Schofield when they went to the Beaufort Park Hotel near Mold on December 15 last year.

Ms Schofield reported the defendant was in a "paranoid state" when they arrived that afternoon, but she'd managed these before so it didn't overly concern her.

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They went to bed at around midnight, but then the defendant began to tell her she was "possessed."

Concerned he was "going to turn," she got up and went to the bathroom.

Brock ran a sink full of water, to the point where it began to overflow, and splashed water on the victim's face while saying "biblical" phrases.

He then pushed her head into the sink and held her under long enough to make her splutter, more than once.

The court heard she felt she was going to die.

After the sink, she believes he punched her to the back of the head and spoke to her like "a gospel preacher," in a strange voice, before putting his fingers in her eyes, throwing her down and biting her.

Hotel staff came and restrained the defendant after Ms Schofield cried out for help, and when police arrived he was completely incoherent.

He told officers he "had to drown the devils out of Ms Schofield's soul," and in a police bodycam clip played to the court, he can be heard to tell them: "Save me - you can save me. This is destiny, I have been chosen.

"You're Satan. Get the f*** out of here - you're f****** weak. You're evil."

Brock laughed whilst watching the footage via the video link.

The victim initially made a statement to police explaining the incident had caused her to break down and become nervous and paranoid, but that she still loved the defendant.

She later retracted support for a prosecution and didn't want a restraining order to be imposed.

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But Recorder Wyn Jones noted that in the pre-sentence report, Brock was assessed as a "high risk of harm to partners."

He said: "This case screams out for a psychiatric report.

"We need to know why the defendant behaved in the way he did.

"In my sad experience, people get killed in situations like that - it doesn't take much to go from an assault to another situation, and that really is putting it as plainly as I can make it.

"How can I properly deal with this case without a report?"

Robin Boag, defending, told the court his client had already served the equivalent of a 10 month sentence and adjourning matters for a psychiatric report would likely see the defendant behind bars for the equivalent of a year or more.

He told the Judge he was going to suggest the defendant could be given a suspended sentence with conditions of probation monitoring - adding that custody had not helped Brock's mental state.

Recorder Jones said: "The court would be assisted in this case by having a report to assist on sentence," adjourning the case to June 23 at Caernarfon.