A MAN who carried out a 'revenge' hit and run due to a personal vendetta with another man has been put behind bars.

Keenan Phelps, of Pen Y Coed Road in Drury, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday morning.

The 25-year-old had been found guilty after trial of dangerous driving, which took place on February 7 last year.

Laura Knightly, prosecuting, told the court that at around 6pm on the day of the offence, police received two calls reporting a 'hit and run' in Englefield Avenue in Connah's Quay.

When the police arrived at the scene, a man named Joel Smith was receiving medical attention from a paramedic.

He was unwilling to speak to the officers but other witnesses at the scene, including a "Mr Bingham" confirmed they had been walking as a group along the pavement when a motorbike approached.

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It passed them two times, and then headed directly towards them, swerving and mounting the kerb before knocking Joel Smith to the floor.

The rider shouted "come on Bing."

The witnesses at the scene said the rider's actions appeared deliberate.

And shortly afterwards, Mr Bingham received messages from an unknown number stating "you're next."

Despite his protestations of innocence, the defendant had been the one to send the messages and had been the one riding the motorbike.

It appeared there was "animosity" between him and Mr Bingham regarding an ex-partner - and that he may have been the intended target of the hit and run.

The Leader: Keenan Phelps (NWP)Keenan Phelps (NWP) (Image: North Wales Police)Joel Smith's leg was broken in two places.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, told the court: "This clearly passes the custody threshold; the only real decision is does it have to be an immediate sentence or can it be suspended?

"There's nothing I can say about the offence as it was a trial in the Magistrates Court, so he receives no credit.

"But there are two points I can make on his behalf."

The first, Mr Roberts said, was his client's more than two years in employment for an engineering company, which had spoken of him "in glowing terms."

The other point in mitigation was his caring responsibilities to his four young children, as well as to his mother and sister.

Mr Roberts asked the court to consider drawing back from immediate custody in order to allow him to work with the probation service.

Judge Niclas Parry told the defendant: "Because of your personal vendetta, you took revenge.

"You passed a group of men two times, targeting them, planning before you deliberately mounted the kerb and struck your victim.

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"You left him screaming. You'd broken his leg in two places.

"And you didn't stop and help - you left. And then continued to make threats that another would be next."

Judge Parry handed down a sentence of 18 months in custody, concluding the offence was so serious that only immediate jail time would suffice.

The defendant was banned from driving for two years and nine months.