A FATHER armed with a baton went into a pub and attacked a man he accused of bullying his son.

Christopher Whittaker punched Andrew Reeves in the face as he sat at a table with his wife and tried to rain other blows on him.

His 15-year-old son threw glasses around the bar of the Star and Garter in Droitwich, one hitting Mr Reeves cutting his elbow, said Nick Berry, prosecuting.

Whittaker took out the 2ft baton and began swinging it around while shouting abuse. He told Mr Reeves “you’re dead” before other customers and staff got him to leave the premises.

The father-of-two said to police that the victim – his son’s former stepfather – had hit his son in the past and he wanted to show the teenager he should not be frightened of him, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Father-of-two Whittaker, aged 44, of The Strand, Charlton, near Pershore, pleaded guilty to affray and possession of an offensive weapon.

Sentencing him to 24 weeks jail, suspended for 12 months, Judge John Cavell said other authorities had reunited father and son, who were now living together.

The crimes were “an exceptional response” to what had occurred in the past and not mindless, drunken violence.

Whittaker, unemployed and on incapacity benefit, was ordered to pay £150 towards the prosecution costs. The incident happened on the afternoon of June 25, when Mr Reeves got a phone call from a man at another Droitwich pub who warned that Whittaker was looking for him.

Whittaker told police he only took the baton to protect himself and produced it when faced by a number of men in the pub. He had a police record but mainly for dishonesty. His son was dealt with by the youth court.

David Taylor, defending, said Whittaker was normally a pleasant, articulate family man.

But when he learned what had been going on it “touched a raw nerve” and he felt “an overwhelming urge” to protect his son.

Since coming to live with him the teenager no longer suffered from nightmares.