A FORMER soldier who became obsessed with Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts and put her through a stalking Hell lasting more than four years has admitted assaulting his 67-year-old father.

Carl Davies, 41, of Oak Grove in Flint, was a former member of the Parachute Regiment who had seen some terrible things in Afghanistan, Mold Crown Court was told.

He admitted assaulting Cyril Davies on February 15 which put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence for stalking his former pop star partner.

Prosecutor Karl Scholz said in May last year Davies received a 15 month prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work with rehabilitation.

The 18 month relationship with Miss Roberts ended in 2008 because of his alleged violence but for more than four years from 2012 until he was arrested he sent 3,000 messages to her on social media, said Mr Scholz.

He set up 35 fake Instagram accounts and messages ranged from liking photographs to being abusive and threatening to injure and kill her.

Davies breached the [lifetime restraining] order by assaulting his father in the back room of his home in Queens Avenue in Flint.

Mr Scholz said the father was aware his son had been drinking, but his attitude prompted him to ask if he had taken anything else and "he just flipped".

He became aggressive, punched his father to his chest and during a struggle both fell to the floor, when the defendant bit his dad's right arm.

Because of "extreme pain" the father released his grip and Davies got up and continued to punch him to the chest, side and back.

He was angry and told his dad: "If you ever accuse me of taking drugs again I will kill you."

The father got a mop to clear up some spilled wine and blood and told his son he had not accused him of taking drugs but had simply asked him. However that enraged him again.

Davies grabbed the mop from his father's hand and started to strike him across the legs with the handle. He was left with three tram lines across his upper thigh.

The father left the house and reported what had happened at the local police station.

He had not wanted his son prosecuted and had withdrawn his allegations but the son had pleaded guilty to assault and Judge David Hale said whatever the father said out of loyalty to his son, the injuries spoke for themselves.

Robin Boag, defending, said his client had faced up to what he had done.

He had pleaded guilty which put him in breach of a suspended sentence for stalking which had been imposed at Guildford Crown Court in Surrey.

Mr Boag said Davies had served with the parachute regiment in Afghanistan and had seen "unpleasant sights, to put it mildly".

A friend had been killed by an explosive device and a friend who suffered post traumatic stress had committed suicide.

It had been the anniversary of the tragedy and Davies had used alcohol as a prop.

In his low frame of mind the suggestion that he had used drugs when he had not had triggered him to react as he did.

He realised that he was relying on drink to much to cope and while he had previously not taken counselling he was now willing to do so.

Mr Boag said that it was now recognised more and more that post traumatic stress did affect those who served in the forces but it had been difficult for Davies with his background to accept that he needed help.

Judge David Hale said he would defer sentence until August to allow time for Davies to show he was willing to take up expert help available to him.

If when he returned to court a probation report showed he had taken on appropriate counselling, then he could expect a suspended sentence.

Judge Hale said he would not activate the suspended sentence for the stalking offence.

"If I send you down it will be for this offence and this offence alone," he said.