An angry dad punched a pub boss in the face and threatened him with a hammer in a row over his daughter's wages.

Myles Priestley stormed into The Red Dog pub in High Halstow and demanded the landlord hand over £20.

The row broke out in a dispute over his daughter's wages after she worked at the boozer while completing her training.

After an altercation Priestley, 46, punched the publican in the face causing a split lip, a court heard.

He also had a hammer in his other hand and raised it above his head in a threatening manner in front of customers demanding the landlord hand over the cash.

The incident happened on Christmas Eve 2021 after Priestley's daughter had been offered bar work at the pub in The Street in the village.

She completed her training session and was asked back to do a shift which she completed and was paid for.

The daughter was due to attend another shift at the venue, which is also a restaurant, but failed to show up for it.

Afterwards, a phone call was made to the landlord and he agreed to pay her (for the training shift) if she produced her P45 from her last job.

But the court heard the landlord never received it and after other angry phone calls to the pub, the dad took matters into his own hands.

Priestley of Vidgeon Avenue, Hoo, armed himself with a hammer and visited the boozer.

He only left the venue after a customer pleaded with him to go and offered him the £20 himself.

The disgruntled dad appeared before Medway Magistrates' Court on January 5 where he admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a claw hammer, and affray.

Sidumiso Mayo prosecuting said: "He punched the complainant on the left side of the face resulting in a split lip and he had the hammer in his other hand and raised it above his head.

"A member of the public gave him the £20 and so he left.

District Judge Stephen Leake decided to adjourn sentencing and asked probation officers to carry out an all options pre-sentencing report on Priestley.

Speaking after the hearing, pub landlord Bill Khatkar said: "I was waiting for paperwork to finalise her wages.

"Her father got involved but didn't need to.

"You can't go around with a claw-hammer. He could have killed someone."

He will be sentenced at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on March 3.