A LANCASTER man who entered a store in the town and pointed an imitation revolver at his wife has been jailed for 10 months.

Robert Donnelly, 41, of Haylot Square, pulled the gun on his wife, Beverley, as she worked as a sales assistant.

Miss Janet Ironfield, prosecuting, said Mrs Donnelly had gone to work at 9am on Saturday, February 22.

When she returned at 1pm her husband was still in bed and their children were downstairs.

She left him a message that she had put some money on the horses for him and would be back from work at 5pm.

The defendant, who had drunk alcohol before going to bed in the early hours of the morning and was on medication, awoke sometime later and was told of the note.

He stated: "I'm not having this. I'm not looking after you two, I'm sick of it."

He picked up the imitation firearm belonging to his son and said: "I'm taking it to give them a scare."

He entered the Farmfoods store, approached his wife and said: "You are coming home now. You're not working on a Saturday afternoon."

He exposed the gun which was pointed towards his wife's temple. Mrs Donnelly left with her husband and returned home.

The police were alerted and went to the couple's home where Donnelly was told to stand still. When he carried on walking the police used CS gas to stop him.

After his arrest he said he had four cans of lager and stated that his children were a "pain in the neck."

Miss Ironfield told Preston Crown Court that Donnelly's previous offence was also for possession of an imitation firearm. Miss Rachel Woods, defending, said her client had taken alcohol mixed with prescription drugs.

Recorder Norman Wright said he did not think Mrs Donnelly would have known the gun was fake stating: "She must have been petrified."

Donnelly was failed for eight months after admitting possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear. He received a further two months for a breach of probation order relating to two affray matters.

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