A MAN who lost control punched a woman in the street knocking her out cold in what was described as a homophobic hate crime.

A witness commendably intervened and with others followed the attacker Gareth Jeffrey King to prevent him getting away.

But King got into his car and drove deliberately at them on two occasions.

They had to jump out of the way into a garden and into church grounds to prevent being hit.

King, 38, of Marine Road in Pensarn, Abergele, was jailed for a total of 32 months this afternoon after he admitted three assaults and dangerous driving - and a separate affray when he tried to break a neighbour’s door with an axe.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers told Mold Crown Court how the first incident happened as Amanda Barlow and her partner Diane Gough were walking along Sandbank Avenue in Towyn one Friday night last April when the defendant made a comment about lesbians.

Miss Gough’s son Christopher Myles told him to show some respect but King assaulted him.

His mother tried to protect her son but the defendant held her by the wrists and threw her to the ground.

Miss Barlow shouted at him not to hurt her partner and that was her last recollection until she woke up at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan.

Witness Stephen Doyle who had been watching television at home heard a commotion and as he approached the group saw King punch Miss Barlow with full force - and he told how she fell “like a sack of spuds.”

Mr Doyle, to his credit, stood between them and rang the police, the prosecutor said.

King ran off but Mr Doyle and Mr Myles followed to prevent him getting away.

He got into an Audi car mounted the pavement and drove directly at them.

King then turned the vehicle around and did the same thing again.

Both had to jump out of the way near Towyn Church to avoid being struck.

Judge Rhys Rowlands, who banned King from driving for three years, said that he made disparaging remarks towards the two women based on their perceived sexuality.

He ended up assaulting them and Mr Myles - and used a very heavy boxing style punch which knocked Miss Barlow unconscious.

The judge said that Mr Doyle’s behaviour was to be commended.

He intervened, rang the police and with others followed the defendant to ensure he did not get away.

But King drove directly at them and they had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.

King, who had lost all control, had used his vehicle as a weapon, said Judge Rowlands.

Defending barrister Simon Killeen said that his client had not offended for more than ten years.

During that time he had been married and did not drink alcohol.

But he started drinking again when his marriage broke down.

That night he was “clearly out of control”, he said.

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  • King admitted an affray at a neighbouring flat in June when he took an axe and a sword with him and tried to break down the door. There had been an earlier incident where he had been ushered out.
  • But he returned and in what the judge described as an explosive loss of temper tried to kick the door open and hit it with the axe as the terrified occupants barricaded themselves inside.
  • When police arrived, he tried to make good his escape down a fire escape but was chased and arrested.