A thug launched a horror attack on staff at the Brockley Barge Wetherspoons pub when they asked him to pay for his coffee, a court has heard. 

Tyrone Smith, 42, entered the pub near Brockley station at 8.45am on March 22 last year and helped himself to a coffee from the machine. 

When bartender Ms Moore told him he needed to pay for the coffee he began insulting her. 

Smith then left the pub before returning a short time later to continue his verbal tirade. 

Explaining the events that followed, prosecutor Tom Cleeve said: “The defendant picked up a wooden easel and tried to hit her with it, lifting it over his head where it caught a lampshade. This stopped him from striking her and he then threw it away.” 

Smith then left the premises for a second time as police were called. 

Officers attended the pub but at around 9.45am, after they had left, Smith returned. 

By this stage another member of staff, Mr Duffy, was in the main area of the pub drinking a cup of coffee. 

Smith went straight to the machine without paying and poured himself another coffee. 

Mr Duffy tried to explain to Smith why he should pay for it, but Smith ignored him and instead walked towards Ms Moore who was behind the bar. 

He made threats and picked up another wooden easel, prosecutor Mr Cleeve said. 

“Mr Duffy tried to protect Ms Moore by restraining him and a struggle took place. The defendant wriggled away and struck Duffy in the face,” Mr Cleeve said. 

“The defendant was holding keys, which left cuts to the lip and eyelid of Mr Duffy.” 

Mr Cleeve said one of blows was millimetres away from causing serious damage to Mr Duffy’s eye. 

Smith then fled the scene but was later arrested after Mr Duffy saw him in the street. 

Smith later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning ABH and common assault. 

At a sentencing hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday (October 18) Judge Lees reviewed the CCTV footage of the attack. 

He said: “The defendant was behaving extremely aggressively towards Ms Moore. He was shouting in a loud voice, threatening her, and it is quickly apparent in the footage that she was terrified by what was going on.” 

Smith, previously of Blythe Hill in Catford, appeared in court via video link from prison where he is serving a five-year sentence for an unrelated matter. 

The sentencing was adjourned until a later date to allow the court to receive more information about the sentence he is currently serving.