Two boys aged 16 have admitted killing a Rhyl shopkeeper during an early morning disturbance in the resort.

Their guilty pleas to manslaughter, on the basis of a lack of intent, were accepted by the prosecution this afternoon (Thursday).

It meant the proposed murder trial came to a dramatic halt before it even started.

The two youths were due to go on trial charged with the murder of  Rhyl shopkeeper Amarjeet Singh Bhaker, originally from Manchester, said to have been stabbed to death, during an organised fight between two gangs, one from Rhyl and the other from Manchester, which the prosecution said was over the supply of cannabis in the town.

A jury empanelled at Mold Crown Court this morning were warned that the trial could take up six weeks, possibly eight.

But following discussions this morning acceptable pleas were entered when the case was called back on this afternoon.

The two youths from Rhyl, who cannot be publicly identified because of their ages, admitted the manslaughter Amarjeet Singh Bhaker, 37.

They admitted wounding his cousin Amar Bahakar Singh, who suffered facial injuries, as an alternative to wounding with intent.

And they admitted a threatening behaviour charge as an alternative to violent disorder. They were remanded in custody pending sentence.

Another 16 year old from the Manchester area, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

He was bailed pending sentence.

Mohanjeet Singh, 18, (correct) of Kingsway, Manchester, the younger brother of the deceased, admitted violent disorder.

He was said to be of good character who had been in custody since his arrest in April.

He had been with his younger brother who had been unlawfully killed during the incident, said his barrister David Mason, QC.

“None of my client’s group had weapons. There is no dispute that he did not cause any injuries during the incident that blew up,” he explained.

He had to come to terms with the fact that his brother sadly died. “He saw his brother being unlawfully killed,” he said.

A cousin of the dead man, Amar Bahakar Singh, 28, of Green End Road, Manchester, was wounded by the two youths and he suffered serious facial injuries.

He admitted violent disorder.

His barrister Martin Hicks QC said that his client was of good character, accepted presence, was subject to racist abuse and punches were exchanged between him and one of the youths.

They fell to the floor and it was in the course of that, he received the facial injuries. He left the scene and was attended to medically.

Both Singhs were released on bail on various conditions including not to enter Wales pending sentence.

Daniel Kenneth Swann, 44, of Prince Edward Avenue in Rhyl, admitted violent disorder and the original charge of  possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence would be allowed to remain on the file, said prosecuting barrister Simon Medland QC.

Swan’s barrister Michael Mather-Lees QC said that he was set upon, went to the ground and was hit on the head with a bottle.

The incident involved a number of men near his property approaching 3am, which was why he went out. He was bailed pending sentence.

Ameer Wahid, 24 of Hardy Lane in Chorlton and Sanah Ullah, 31, of Barlow Moor Road in Manchester, admitted an alternative charge of threatening behaviour instead of the violent disorder charge.

Both had been in custody since April – the equivalent of a ten or 11 month sentence - and the judge Mr Justice Julian Goose QC said that he would sentence them immediately.

Wahid received four months and Ullah five months, which means their immediate release.

The charges arise from a major 3am disturbance at Prince Edward Avenue in Rhyl on April 30.

The judge said that two groups, based in Rhyl and Manchester, fell into dispute apparently over the supply of cannabis.

It was not suggested that Wahid or Ullah were involved in that.

The two groups planned a fight and members of the Manchester Group threatened the occupants of a house in Prince Edward Avenue.

That led to a large scale disturbance but there was no suggestion that the two used weapons, they were not part of the planning, and they did not play an active part in the violence. But they were there to assist in what others did.

Mr Justice Julian Goose adjourned sentence of the others until November 6.