A THUG who fractured his mum’s ex-lover’s cheek and eye socket in a pub brawl has been jailed for more than three years.

Barry McAreavey, 38, turned on John Armstrong in The Parkway Bar in Glasgow’s Halfway last September.

McAreavey repeatedly struck Mr Armstrong with a chair leg amid claims he was “goaded” about his mother.

The attacker was also involved in two prior Glasgow pub brawls as well as punching an employee at a shop.

McAreavey was locked up for a total of 39 months after he pleaded guilty yesterday at Glasgow Sheriff Court to five assaults.

Prosecutor Hannah Terrance said: “There was a heated exchange with McAreavey stating ‘Don’t talk about my mum’ or words to that effect.

“Mr Armstong approached McAreavey and both grabbed each other but Mr Armstrong was pushed to the floor.

“Mr Armstrong picked up a glass and approached McAreavey and throws the contents over him.

“Another man attempted to hit Mr Armstrong over the head twice with a stool causing the seat to break.

“McAreavey picked up the broken piece of chair and struck him on the face three times.”

He received 12 stitches for wounds to his eye and forehead as well as a fractured cheek and eye socket.

McAreavey threw pint glasses two men at the Argosy Bar on Paisley Road West in March 2018 then punched a shop employee.

He also struck a man with a pool cue before headbutting him at the nearby Vital Spark pub in October that year.

Callum Weir, defending, said: “Mr Armstrong was a man who was in a long-term abusive relationship with his mother, but it had ended at this point.

“There was an element of goading by Mr Armstrong and that’s why he said not to speak about his mother.”