A 50-YEAR-old man damaged a landlord's car after he was barred from a Hereford pub.

At Hereford Magistrates Court Christopher Williams of Marshall Close, Hereford pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property valued under £5,000.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said: "Prior to this matter occurring the defendant was a regular customer at the Britannia pub [in Whitecross].

"Over the few months leading up to these matters he had a deterioration in mental health and an increase in unacceptable behaviour."

Because of this and an issue at the pub Williams was barred from the Britannia in August.

Ms Lovegrove said: "On November 17 he returned to the pub with a metal hammer in his hand."

He then damaged the windscreen, window and passenger door of a car belonging to the landlord, Mike Pygott.

Williams left the scene and was found by police in toilets in a nearby pub.

George Cousins, mitigating, said when Williams was barred in August from the pub he made a complaint to police that he had been assaulted on two separate occasions, which the police are still investigating.

He said Williams also had a history of mental illness and had been regularly medicated since 1994.

Williams had asked for his medication to be reduced - during this time the car damage occurred - and his medication has since been adjusted. He is also seeing the mental health team.

Magistrates gave Williams a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay compensation of £800 to the landlord for the car damage, £135 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.