A thug held a BB gun resembling a real pistol to a man’s head during a fight at a Merseyside social club.
Armed police descended on Haydock Catholic Club after Ian Robertson brandished the weapon on November 20 last year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the 31-year-old, of Beilby Road, Haydock, was recognised by staff.
Barman Paul Jones saw Robertson talking to a regular customer known as ‘Adam’, who was with five unidentified men.
Simon Duncan, prosecuting, said Mr Jones was alerted to the fight at around 8.25pm, when a glass was smashed and a table overturned.
Mr Duncan said: “He saw the defendant holding what appeared to be a gun to Adam’s head.
“Mr Jones immediately ran from behind the bar towards the defendant, Adam and his friends, who were holding onto the defendant in an effort to disarm him.”
The barman managed to push Robertson against a wall and grabbed hold of the weapon.
He restrained Robertson on the floor but one of Adam’s friends came over and glassed the defendant in the face, before the group fled.
Mr Jones tended to cuts to Robertson’s face, while the weapon was put behind the bar.
The defendant then asked for it back and revealed it was only a ball bearing gun.
Mr Duncan said: “He told Mr Jones he had put the gun to Adam’s head as Adam had been bullying another male. He kept saying he didn’t like bullies.”
When police arrived and arrested Robertson, he replied: “I agree with everything you have charged me with.”
He was searched and found to be carrying a small wrap of cocaine.
He later told an officer he had pointed the gun “at a gang of drug dealers”.
An armed policeman who retrieved the weapon said he initially thought it was a real self-loading pistol.
It was only when he checked the gun that he realised it was loaded with a ball bearing.
Robertson was serving a 16-week suspended prison sentence at the time for two offences of battery.
He attacked two women after they came to his home in July 2014 and accused him of cheating on his partner by sleeping with one of them.
Liverpool Crown Court
He replied “f*** it, I’m stabbing you both” before threatening them with a kitchen knife and grabbing them each by the throat.
Robertson admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He also admitted cocaine possession and breaching his suspended sentence.
Robert Haygarth, defending, said his client was in the club with his partner when he witnessed what he thought was bullying.
He said the group also insulted his girlfriend, for whom he is the registered carer.
Mr Haygarth said Robertson had gone home to get the gun, which he had recently bought to fire at cans in his garden for around £30.
He said Robertson denied knowing it was loaded or that the incident had anything to do with drugs.
Judge Brian Cummings, QC, praised Mr Jones for “very bravely” disarming the defendant.
He said the gun could still have inflicted injury if fired at close range.
Judge Cummings sentenced Robertson to 19 months behind bars.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/