A charge of attempted murder against a Ruthin man has been dropped but he admitted a vicious street assault.

Defendant Connor Hooley on Friday admitted inflicting GBH with intent following the early morning attack in a street in the town which left a man fighting for his life.

Hooley, aged 21, of Borthyn, Ruthin, appeared in the dock at Mold Crown Court.

He admitted a charge of causing GBH with intent on victim Christopher Lloyd in Clwyd Street, Ruthin, during the early hours of Saturday, February 17 this year.

The defendant denied a charge of assault, occasioning actual bodily harm, on Mr Lloyd, in an earlier incident at The Boar’s Head public house.

But he admitted a charge of common assault upon another man, Sion Jones, at that stage.

Prosecuting barrister Sion ap Mihangel said that the position had been carefully considered and it had been decided to accept his pleas.

He said that by far and away the most serious matter was the charge of inflicting GBH with intent which would clearly attract a significant custodial sentence.

The prosecution would not therefore seek a trial on the other charge, he said.

Judge Niclas Parry ruled that the charge of ABH upon Mr Lloyd should remain on file.

The judge ordered a full pre-sentence report and said that Hooley would be sentenced next month.

He advised the defendant to be “open and frank” with the probation service.

“You are going to be given significant credit for pleading guilty as early as you have done. It will be reflected in the custodial sentence,” he said.

But the judge warned him: “Having said that you understand that it will inevitably be a lengthy custodial sentence.”

The court heard that the defendant had some previous convictions including one of common assault but had not been in trouble since 2015.

Hooley will be sentenced on April 17.

Police said at the time of the attack that 36-year-old Mr Lloyd was in a critical condition in Glan Clwyd Hospital at Bodelwyddan and that his family were being supported by specially trained officers.

The incident led to a major police investigation and scenes of crimes officers cordoned off an area of Clwyd Street and spent some hours painstakingly examining the scene amid allegations that Mr Lloyd had been followed from the Boar’s Head and subjected to a violent beating.