The brother of a Rhyl woman who was stabbed to death has admitted threatening to kill relatives of the man accused of her murder.

Andylee Dale Denton was said to have been struggling to cope with the death of his sister Tyler when he sent the text messages.

Twenty-five-year-old Tyler died after an incident in Llys Aderyn Du, Rhyl, on September 10 in which her sisters Cody and Shannen, and their father Paul were also seriously injured.

Redvers James Bickley, 21, has appeared at Mold Crown Court accused of murdering Tyler and attempting to murder the other three victims, and his trial is expected to take place next March.

James Neary, prosecuting at Llandudno Magistrates’ court, said that on September 16 his sister Chloe Bickley, who also lives in Rhyl, received a text message stating: “I’ll f-----g murder you like you did to my sister. Tell your mum I will murder her.”

In another message Miss Bickley was called “a disgusting little slag”.

The calls were quickly traced to Denton, who lives in Blackburn, and when police called at his home he immediately admitted responsibility.

Mr Neary said the defendant did not know Miss Bickley but found the name on the internet without  even being sure  that she was related to Redvers Bickley.

“He said he had sent the messages out of anger because of what they had had to deal with,” he said.

Alex Fitzgerald, defending, said the offence could clearly not be condoned but it was understandable.

“It was committed just days after his sister was murdered and his father and other two sisters were in hospital fighting for their lives. It was because he could not cope with his grief,” he said.

Denton, he added,  was embarrassed by what he had done and was genuinely remorseful.

The 30-year-old painter and decorator, of Northbank Avenue, Blackburn, was originally charged with making threats to kill but that was dropped and he pleaded guilty to sending malicious communications.

District Judge Gwyn Jones said it was clearly a difficult time for him and the fact that social media messages meant that the threats were not made face-to-face was no excuse.

He sentence Denton to  eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay costs of £85 and a £135 surcharge.

He also imposed a restraining order prohibiting D enton from contacting members of the Bickley family.