A man who picked up a pool cue, broke it in two and then brandished it in a Rhyl street, cried as he was being sentenced on Wednesday.

David Molloy, 25, of Aled Avenue in Rhyl, escaped immediate custody.

Judge Niclas Parry told Molloy at Mold Crown Court: "You are crying now. But you cut a far more menacing picture in that public house, drunk, picking up a weapon.

"You were not going to act alone and had others to go with you."

It was a serious incident of public disorder, he said.

He had previous conviction including a serious one for attempted robbery.

The current offences were the type of violence on licensed premises that the public were fed up of and they looked to the courts to cut it out.

But he would receive maximum credit for his guilty pleas, he had not been in trouble for more than six years, and the judge said that he could bear in mind the effect of any custodial sentence on dependents.

The court heard that the defendant was the carer for his mother.

He received a six month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and he was placed on drugs rehabilitation with monthly court reviews after he admitted a public order offence, damage and possessing an offensive weapon.

CCTV footage of the incident was played at court.

Prosecuting barrister Dafydd Roberts told how in the early hours of July 21 the defendant had been drinking at The North Wales Public House in Rhyl, where there was an altercation.

He was seen to pick up a pool cue, snap it on his leg and leave.

A few minutes later there was an altercation outside where he was seen to be brandishing it.

Sarah Yates, defending, said that it had been an extreme over-reaction which the defendant did regret.

The defendant had left court on an earlier occasion after being advised of the possible sentence. He panicked and became frightened, she explained.

The defendant had never been to custody, he had not been in trouble since 2012, was a carer for his mum and worked as a labourer and bricklayer.