A JEALOUS licensee attacked a customer with an axe after wrongly suspecting that his wife was having an affair with him, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Roger Baker, 61-year-old licensee of the White Hart, Ledbury, for 13 years, had been married for 39 years and was a jealous and obsessive husband, said William Rickarby, prosecuting.

He decided to carry out the attack on car salesman Trevor Hughes after finding a note bearing his name and telephone number.

Baker, who admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon, was jailed for 15 months.

Mr Rickarby said Baker became suspicious after finding the name of Mr Hughes, a regular customer for 10 years, on the back of a betting slip he found in the pub. He confronted his wife and Mr Hughes, who recognised the writing but thought nothing more of it.

But Baker asked another customer to buy an axe for him at a car boot sale because he wanted it for a job.

On Sunday, July 15, Mr Hughes was having a lunchtime drink in the pub when Baker followed him to the toilets and struck him on the back of the head with the axe. Mr Hughes fended off further blows and was punched several times in the face.

Bruises

He called for help and Baker's son came in and grabbed his father, said Mr Rickarby.

Mr Hughes was covered in blood, but his injuries amounted to cuts, grazes and bruises.

When arrested, Baker said: I only hit him with the blunt end.

Mr Nicolas Cartwright, defending, said that after finding the note, Baker had hardly eaten or slept for days.

He was not thinking rationally and his action was fuelled by jealousy and a deep-seated feeling that his wife was cheating on him, he added.

The public house had since closed and Baker's electrical contracting business had also failed. But Baker's wife was standing by him.

Judge Anthony King said it was merciful that the injures were not more serious.

He was able to reduce the length of sentence because of Baker's impeccable character and early guilty plea.