Chef brandished hammer at former boss in row over wages

A chef brandished a hammer at his former manager amid a dispute over wages.

Lee Broll, 30, confronted the man at The Gannet fine dining restaurant in Glasgow’s Finnieston on September 12, 2025.

Broll took out the silver and black hammer, which caused the victim and a witness to flee and hide in separate rooms in the building.

He later threatened by telephone to “execute” the restaurant owner if he went to the police.

Broll – who has been previously pictured with Masterchef’s Michel Roux – made headlines in 2023 after he entered a restaurant in Southampton with a BB gun while masked after they refused him a job.

Broll pleaded guilty to his latest matters of assaulting the victim as well as behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how Broll was on bail at the time after he threw a brick through the window of The Gannet, which has since closed down and been renamed.

The Gannet was closing on the night of the incident when Broll entered and immediately walked up to his former manager.

Prosecutor Josh Dowie said: “He squared up to him by puffing his chest out and holding his shoulders back.

“Broll then pushed [the victim] using both hands.”

The man moved back and used his own hands to create space between them while Broll walked towards him.

Mr Dowie said: “Broll pulled out a silver and black hammer out of his tracksuit top pocket and brandished it towards [the victim].”

A witness who saw the incident fled into a toilet in fear and locked herself inside.

The man ran downstairs into a basement office and hid.

Broll made demands to speak to a staff member who was not there at the time before he made off.

The police were contacted, but officers were not able to trace Broll at the time.

On September 29, 2025, an “agitated” Broll called the restaurant and wanted to speak to the business owner about the previous incident.

He stated that he would call back later, and did so numerous times over the next three to four hours.

The business owner later contacted Broll, who told him to stop contacting the restaurant and harassing staff.

Broll said: “If I get any bother from the police I am going to f***ing execute you.”

The owner reported the matter to the police, and Broll, of the city’s Ibrox, was later traced and then arrested.

Haroun Malik, defending, told the court that his client was also on bail for wasting police time as well as the window offence. Both matters are awaiting sentencing after guilty pleas were tendered.

Mr Malik added: “He was an employee, and my understanding is that this was a historical dispute over wages.

“Since the commission of the latest offence, there has been no further contact.”

Sentence for Broll’s latest matter was deferred until next month by Sheriff Andrew McIntyre pending background reports.

The sheriff told him: “I have come to the view that you present a serious risk to the man.

“Until this risk is appropriately safeguarded, you will be remanded in custody.”