A jealous barman has been convicted of a murderous attack on a landlord who he believed was having an affair with his new wife.

A jury took four and a half hours before returning a verdict of guilty on Alex Batista, who worked at the Cricketers Inn in Meopham.

The prosecution told how the 30-year-old barman and his brother in law Craig Allen had taken part in the savage attack on landlord David Brown on Bonfire Night last year.

The verdict was greeted with shouts of "yes" from the public gallery where members of the family of Mr Allen sat.

Now Portuguese Batista has heard he faces a long sentence when he returns to Maidstone Crown Court tomorrow.

The jury had heard how the 50-year-old pub landlord had fought for his life after being attacked by Batista who he had not long fired.

During the cocaine-fuelled attack in the pub, Batista told Mr Brown he had paid his brother in law Craig Allen £2000 to kill Mr Brown .

The South African said the attack happened just days after he had dismissed the senior barman following an incident with Batista's wife.

Mr Brown was stabbed and hit with a spade and a fire extinguisher before Batista fled leaving behind his dying brother in law.

On the days prior to the incident, angry Batista believed the pub manager was having an affair with his wife within weeks of their marriage.

The couple had parted ways after a “stormy relationship” and an incident in which he shoved her and she fell down some steps when her fall was caught by Mr Brown.

That led to Batista being dismissed after a showdown with his boss and he was ordered to leave the pub flat which he shared with his wife.

On November 5 last year Mr Brown was in his flat in the pub when he heard a knock on his door. He was then attacked by the men brandishing knives and a shovel.

During the long incident in the landlord's pub apartment, Batista tried to make Mr Brown send a text message saying he had reconsidered the sacking and planned to reverse his decision.

Batista then put down a Rambo II knife to compose the message and Mr Brown grabbed the weapon and made a dash for his door – only to be confronted by Mr Allen.

As the two fought on the ground, Mr Allen received a fatal wound and Batista escaped in his wife's car.