A man has been convicted of assaulting a cyclist in a town in North Wales after he was caught because he bragged about the incident on Facebook.

The victim of the attack on Church Street, Mold in July last year, Anthony Burrows, aged 47, alerted police to the boasting posts on made on the social network after they were drawn to his atttention and he recognised his assailant.

Mold Crown Court heard that Michael Hill, 31, from Shotton, had attacked Mr Burrows after his then partner complained he was cycling on the pavement, reports News North Wales.

He punched the cyclist, who fell from his bike, hitting his head on railings. While he was on the ground, Hill hit him four more times. Mr Burrows needed treatment for a head injury and also sustained scratches, cuts and a black eye.

When interviewed by police after being identified through Facebook, Hill declined to comment. At first he pleaded not guilty, saying he was acting in self-defence, but he later entered a written guilty plea.

At his trial, Hill interrupted Judge Geraint Walters as he passed sentence and repeated his claim that he had acted in self-defence.

However, the judge told him that a guilty plea normally indicated remorse and acceptance of blame.

He sentenced him to 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and Hill will also have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to an electronic curfew between 8pm and 6am for three months.

“You did ultimately plead guilty although you are doing your level best at the moment to remove that credit,” the judge said.

Referring to Hill's intervention in the argument between the woman who was his partner at the time and Mr Burrows, he said: “When he was on the ground you delivered several other punches to him.

"There was no justification for that whatsoever.

“Decent, civilised 31-year-olds do not behave like that in public places,” he added.