A PENSIONER has been fined after randomly targeting and punching a youth in the street - and not for the first time.

Sharon Roberts, of Feathers Street in Flint, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 69-year-old had admitted one offence of assault by beating at a previous hearing, the offence having taken place in Church Street in Flint.

She had also admitted one offence of failing to answer police or court bail and another of failing to surrender to police or court bail.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that at around 6.30pm on July 14, the victim - a female youth - was walking along the street in Flint.

She noticed an elderly woman, who turned out to be Roberts, moving towards her with a walking frame.

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Roberts asked the youth: "Excuse me love, can you help me?"

When the girl turned to ask how she could help, Roberts punched her to the side of the face and walked away down an alley.

The girl was left with a cut inside her mouth due to the punch connecting with a tooth.

Mr Espie said: "This appears to have been a completely random incident where the defendant deliberately targeted a youth."

He said the incident was "almost identical" to another such attack for which she had previously received a conditional discharge.

When Roberts was arrested, police found her to be "eccentric," and due to her unusual behaviour, they had her assessed at the Heddfan Unit at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

She was found to have capacity and her issues were deemed to have been behavioural.

Alex MacKenzie, defending, told the court: "At the time, Ms Roberts was having difficulties with some young people in her local area."

Ms MacKenzie said she felt her client may not have been able to distinguish between those responsible for the abuse she'd received and other unrelated youths.

"And that is probably what led to the unprovoked offending," she added.

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"There has clearly been a significant background in respect of her mental state and what she was going through."

Ms MacKenzie said her client's failure to surrender and answer to bail offences appear to have arisen as she'd become confused after believing the proceedings had been concluded - with the previous assault on a youth having been dealt with not long before.

"She is clearly vulnerable and has some difficulties," she said.

The Magistrates handed down a £200 fine and ordered the defendant to pay £50 compensation to the youth, as well as £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.