Dad turned up at kids' birthday party with hammer to confront 11-year-old girl

Christopher Bridge admitted he "acted shamefully" when he went to the birthday party full of children to ask an 11-year-old girl about an incident involving his son in a park

A dad armed himself with a hammer before going to a children’s birthday party to confront an 11-year-old girl who he said had attacked his son.

Christopher Bridge admitted he "acted shamefully" when he went to the birthday party full of children to ask an 11-year-old girl about an incident involving his son in a park. The 32-year-old admitted affray and two other charges and the judge at Mold Crown Court gave him a two-year jail term but suspended it for two years.

As Bridge was the sole carer for his son, the judge said, he should be given a suspended sentence as that is what would happen to a mother in his circumstances. Bridge, of Green Avenue, Kinmel Bay, Conwy, went to a house in Prestatyn at 6pm one evening in April looking for an 11-year-old girl, Prosecutor Laura Knightly told the court.

He believed the girl, who was a friend of the householder's daughter, had been involved in an assault on his young son. Bridge held up a hammer and used it on the front door, North Wales Live reports. People inside the house told him there were children present in the incident, which was captured on a doorbell camera. Bridge left and police arrested him later that month.

The prosecutor described how he shook his head as allegations were outlined to him in an interview and "appeared to smirk". In a victim statement, the householder said she was nervous about Bridge coming back to her house.

Another woman at the party said in her statement: "If he can go to a house full of kids with a hammer what else is he capable of?" Defence barrister Brett Williamson said his client behaved shamefully and it had been "very frightening" for the children in the property. He said: "Mr Bridge discovered that his son had been assaulted by a number of older youngsters in the local park. He has acted out of all sense of reason and proportion when he discovered his son injured."

Mr Williamson said whatever happened in the park cannot justify or excuse Bridge's offending. The judge, His Honour Niclas Parry, said it had been "shameful, cowardly and bullying behaviour - a 32-year-old man seeking vengeance on an eleven-year-old girl?" He said: "You went to the family home brandishing a hammer...and despite being told there was a primary school [age] children's party you tried to grab an eleven-year-old child."

He said the young children would have been terrified. But it had been out of character and he is the sole carer for his son. The judge also noted Bridge has tried to stay in work - in construction - and has lost a lot already due to this case.

The judge said he would have suspended his sentence if it had been a mother in these circumstances and it shouldn't be any different for a father. He ordered Bridge to do 250 hours of unpaid work, attend 15 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £750 compensation to the householder.

He also made a three-year restraining order prohibiting the defendant from contacting the householder directly, indirectly or from referring to her on social media, or from going within 100 metres of her home. There were no separate penalties for possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and criminal damage.