A FATHER-OF-THREE has been spared jail after he attacked a man with a bar stool.

Alfred Ryan, of Wallis Park, Northfleet, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (July 30) after pleading guilty to committing an assault causing actual bodily harm.

The incident, which happened on January 12 at The Rose pub in Northfleet, stemmed from a row which had taken place 10 years earlier.

Victim Gary Mills was approached by 28-year-old Ryan as he put some empty glasses on to the bar.

Prosecutor Anne Phillips told the court Ryan was sitting on a bar stool staring at Mr Mills. He then walked over to him and asked: "Do you know who I am?"

Ryan said Mr Mills had argued with his father about a three-piece suite.

During the incident in the pub, Ryan said if he had been there at the time he would have "screwed" Mr Mills's head off.

Mr Mills walked away and told his wife, who remembered the incident, but said it was over a gas cooker and had happened 10 years before.

The court heard as the couple went to leave the pub, Ryan approached Mr Mills holding a bar stool.

He slammed the stool against Mr Mills and it caught his face, forehead, right eye and right shoulder. Mr Mills then fell backwards against a wall.

Ryan then jumped on top of his victim but a friend of 55-year-old Mr Mills pulled him away.

The court heard Mr Mills struggled to get up after the attack and felt a tingling in his right side.

He was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, where his right shoulder was found to be dislocated. He also had a graze below his right eye.

Edmund Fowler, mitigating for Ryan, said: "His dad died when he was 16 years old and he has used alcohol to deal with his father's death, but he knows that should have changed by now."

Ryan was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay £1,200 compensation to Mr Mills.

Judge Michael Lawson also imposed a four-month curfew on Ryan, with a condition he must be at home between 7pm and 5am each day.