A man who robbed a barman at a pub was later involved in a rooftop stand-off with police for over an hour.

Sam Nicholas Allan hurled slates off the roof of a newsagents’ shop on Deeside at officers below but fortunately no one was hit.

High on drink and drugs he was bare-chested despite the cold and was behaving in a bizarre manner.

He put a cable around his neck at one stage and then took his trousers off, set them alight and waved them about.

A police negotiator was called in.

But Allan went into the premises through the hole he had made in the roof and struggled with police who forced their way in and arrested him.

At Mold Crown Court Allan, 30, of no fixed abode but formerly of Bron y Wern, Bagillt - who had a previous robbery conviction - was jailed for 18 months.

The Leader:

Sam Nicholas Allan robbed a barman at The Mill Tavern pub in Flint

He admitted robbing Dylan Roberts at The Mill Tavern in Flint on February 4 last year, affray following the stand-off in Connah’s Quay High Street and criminal damage to the roof.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that Allan went behind the bar, shoulder barged the barman and stole some £20 notes from the till.

Later that night he made off when he saw the police and climbed up onto a roof.

He was shouting and swearing and was behaving badly and irrationally as was shown on police body worn camera footage which had been shown in court, the judge said.

Allan threatened to harm himself, removed slates and threw them at police.

At least ten police officers were engaged with him for an hour or so.

He had taken drink and cocaine and was involved in a “fairly protracted stand-off” .

Judge Rowlands said: “It is simply too serious to be dealt with by anything other than a sentence of imprisonment.”

Prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers said others customers left the Mill Tavern because of Allan’s behaviour and at one stage some bottles of spirits had been stolen from behind the bar and were found outside.

But when the barman was serving another customer Allan barged him with his shoulders and took five £20 notes from the till.

He fled at about 9.30pm but at 11pm police received a report of two men fighting in Albert Place, Connah’s Quay.

The defendant ran off, police gave chase, but he climbed onto the roof of G and R Newsagents in the High Street.

Despite freezing weather he was bare chested, unsteady on his feet and removed slates and threw them at officers.

He threatened to harm himself, put a cable around his neck, removed his trousers and was acting strangely and shouted aggressively “watch what happens now.”

Mr Rogers said: “He set his trousers alight and began swinging them around while laughing.”

He tried to climb onto a second storey but only succeeded in causing damage to guttering.

“Allan gained access to the property through the roof, officers forced entry and when he realised they had a Tazer he allowed himself to be arrested,” said Mr Rogers.

That was a 12.40am.

He resisted police and kicked out as he was being placed in a police vehicle.

Interviewed the next day he claimed he had been with his girlfriend all day, and said he had not been in Flint since October the previous year.

He claimed to have gone onto the roof after a row with his girlfriend.

Allan said he was scared of the police, denied throwing slates and said his foot got caught in the slates.

But he was picked out as the robber and his DNA was found on one of the bottles at the pub.

The previous robbery was a handbag snatch when a female was swung around and pulled to the floor.

He received three years for that in 2014.

Defending barrister Dafydd Roberts said Allan had written a letter to the court and wished to apologise to the robbery victim and to the police.

His unenviable record did him no credit but he had spent his 30th birthday in custody, had reflected on his position, and intended to receive treatment at a recovery unit to help him remain drug and alcohol free on his release.