A PUB fight broke out after a drinker called a man's wife "a slut", a court was told.

Andrew Guy told a judge he was "appalled" to hear Kieron Ledgister brand his wife Lorette "a slut" inside the Old Crown in Stourport-on-Severn.

The two men squared up to each other and grappled on the pub floor before the fight spilled out into the street.

Guy, who had a record for violence, denied kicking Mr Ledgister but Judge Thomas Dillon QC ruled he had delivered two kicks to his back.

The judge also decided that Mr Ledgister had not spat in Guy's face before the fight.

But he said Mr Ledgister had begun the incident with an "offensive and unpleasant" remark about Mrs Guy and her sister-in-law Marie Connelly.

The defendant admitted calling Mr Ledgister "a black git" in retaliation for the comment.

Judge Dillon heard evidence at Worcester Crown Court after a dispute between prosecution and defence about the facts of the case.

Machine operator Guy, aged 32, formerly of North Road, Stourport, admitted affray.

He denied racially aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm and was given a not guilty verdict on that charge. He was bailed for a pre-sentence report.

The court heard that the Guys travelled from their home in Mendip Way, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, to visit Mrs Guy's father in Stourport.

The family visited four pubs before going to the Old Crown on October 27 last year.

Mrs Guy gave evidence that her husband told her she was called a slut, and she went over to Mr Ledgister's group to say they did not want trouble.

Guy alleged she was again branded a slut by Mr Ledgister, before they got involved in the brawl.

Mr Ledgister insisted he had walked up to Guy's table after hearing a comment and was punched. He needed a week off work to recover.

The pub's assistant manager, Mark Wild, said: "It was just mayhem." He called police.

Guy had previous convictions for wounding, grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm and destroying property, said Ian Ball, prosecuting.