THE estranged wife of a March pub landlord smashed a bottle of vodka in his hostelry when she threw a set of keys in a fit of temper.

Kerry Kirby had been furious to discover that her children had been taken to the Cock Inn where her husband lives with his new partner.

She ran into the High Street premises to collect the youngsters and pulled down the licencee’s sign above the door.

After her car failed to start she threw her keys - and they damaged a bottle of vodka along with two optics, Fenland magistrates were told.

Kirby, 38, is the mother of four children and recently gave birth to her husband’s child, despite him seeing another woman.

John Goodier, prosecuting, told magistrates: “She is on maternity leave, she is receiving statutory maternity pay; she thought he was not paying money for the mortgage and was fearful she would have to sell the home.”

Mitigating, David Chapple said Kirby and her husband separated in November 2009 “although they maintained a degree of a relationship, sufficient for her to give birth to their fourth child last year”.

Mr Chapple said: “My client feels the other woman broke up the family and did not want her children to come into contact with her.”

On discovering the children were at the pub, Kirby had driven there to collect the youngsters.

When her car failed to start, she threw her keys at a wall, her estranged husband took them into the pub and she went back inside to retrieve them.

“There was another verbal altercation, he threw the keys at her and they hit her face,” said Mr Chapple. “She threw them back, they bounced off him and hit a bottle of vodka, causing it to break.

“Although she was wrong to behave as she did, she was very much provoked.”

Kirby, of Ireton Way, March, admitted a charge of causing criminal damage. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay �50 costs.