A MAN knocked himself out with a brick in a desperate bid to win back his partner, a court heard.

Appearing in court from custody, Stephen Mather, 32, pleaded guilty to breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and an offence of criminal damage, following the incident in Holywell on Tuesday.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, described how police officers had been contacted at about 4pm following reports of a disturbance on Strand Walk.

According to witnesses, a drunken male was outside the home of his former partner hitting himself on the head with a brick.

When officers arrived they found Mather lying unconscious in the middle of the road with half a brick nearby.

There was also evidence that he had also been kicking his former partner's wooden fence.

North East Wales Magistrates Court heard Mather, of Abbots Walk, Holywell, had been made the subject of a CBO in September last year banning him from being intoxicated through drink or drugs in any public place in Wales and England.

As part of the CBO, Mather was also prohibited from using or encouraging anyone else to use insulting, threatening, foul, abusive disorderly or intimidating language in any place in England or Wales.

Simon Simmonds, defending, told the Mold court the couple had been together for 13 years and had two young children, adding Mather had found their split "hard to take".

He had hoped to rekindle the relationship and was encouraged by a chance meeting with his ex during which she smiled at him.

"This is a wake-up call for him and he's recognising he needs to get out of the doldrums," said Mr Simmonds, who added his client had promised not to do anything like this again.

Mather was fined £50 for each offence and ordered to pay £50 compensation for the broken fence as well as costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £30.