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

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

The row broke out in a dispute over his daughter's wages, after she worked at the pub 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 front of customers, demanding the landlord handover the cash.

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

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, the court was told.

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.

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

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 and he was sentenced at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on March 3.

Magistrates decided to jail Priestley for 180 days but suspended the term for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay landlord, Bill Khatkar £50 compensation and was ordered to stay away from the pub and Mr Khatkar for a year.

Priestley was also ordered to complete 10 rehabilitation sessions with probation and pay a victim surcharge of £95 and £85 costs.

Speaking after the first hearing, Mr 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."