Adam Ant admits pub affray

Adam Ant reacted to taunts about his clothes

Former pop idol Adam Ant has admitted threatening pub customers who made fun of his "cowboy" clothes.

The 1980s star appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday under his real name Stuart Goddard, and pleaded guilty to affray.

The charge related to an incident at a north London pub on 12 January in which revellers were threatened after making fun of his appearance, the court heard.

He pulled out the gun, which they thought was genuine, and threatened to shoot them if they didn't back up

David Tomlinson
Prosecution

Goddard, 47, of Primrose Hill, north London, was remanded on bail until sentencing on 2 October.

Three further charges of criminal damage, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an imitation firearm were denied by Goddard and dropped by the prosecution.

The incident happened at the Prince of Wales pub in Kentish Town.

Pub customers started humming the theme from the spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, when he walked in wearing a combat jacket and matching flat cap, the court heard at an earlier hearing.

Goddard was looking for the husband of a market trader who he claimed was harassing him.

Million-seller

After hearing the jokes, he left and returned armed with a starting pistol, the court had heard.

Goddard said the pistol belonged to his father and was a wartime heirloom.

David Tomlinson, prosecuting, had previously told the court that the defendant threw a heavy car alternator, which he found in the street, through the pub window.

Mr Tomlinson said: "A number of people ran from the public house. Some saw this defendant.

"Some who were there earlier, pursued him but he pulled out the gun, which they thought was genuine, and threatened to shoot them if they didn't back up."

Ant was described as being "hyper-manic"

No-one was hurt but Judge Jeremy Roberts said at an earlier hearing that doctors believed Goddard had been in a "hyper-manic" state.

After his arrest Goddard had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the Alice Ward of the Royal Free Hospital, in north London.

At Tuesday's hearing, the former lead singer of Adam and the Ants was wearing glasses, a flamboyant black Fedora hat and pinstriped suit.

He said nothing during his brief appearance apart from acknowledging his name and answering "guilty" to the charge.

The judge said that an up-to-date psychiatric report would be helpful in deciding sentence.

Goddard's defence lawyer, Paul Bowen, insisted that at the time of the attack his client "was suffering from a disease of the mind."

Adam Ant was known in the 1980s for his outrageous costumes, dressing as pirates and highwaymen and wearing a white stripe across his face.

The former Punk sold about 16 million records and in 1981 had seven hits in the Top 40 in one week.