A MAN produced a fake firearm and made a dramatic kill threat during a Workington street incident to which armed police were called.

A judge who sentenced Robin Dakin, a 58-year-old who had never previously committed any crime, concluded he must have been at the “end of his tether” on November 15.

Just before 10pm, a woman inside her home heard shouting from outside. She looked out, saw first Dakin’s partner upset in the street then Dakin himself.

“She said that he saw her looking at him and proceeded to show her the firearm he was holding, which made her feel scared,” said Matthew Conway, prosecuting, at Carlisle Crown Court.

A man then arrived on scene, approached Dakin, took the firearm from him and examined it. The woman and her partner had also come outside.

“The defendant then snatched the firearm back and went back to his house, saying ‘I’m going to kill yous one day’ as he left,” said Mr Conway.

Police were called, armed officers arrived on scene and Dakin was arrested.

Video footage of the incident showed him with the imitation firearm which he pointed at someone. It also captured him holding it behind his back as he lent against a motorbike.

A water pistol painted black was recovered from a garden as Dakin’s property was searched. The court heard it was noted this bore “no resemblance” to the firearm seen in a scene photograph taken by a neighbour. However, gas canisters linked to that pictured firearm were found.

Dakin, then of Clay Street, Workington, admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Sean Harkin, giving mitigation, said Dakin had since moved and had no intention of returning to that area.

Passing sentence, Recorder Hawks told the defendant: “It is a sad state of affairs at your age you are now sitting in the dock of a crown court.”

The judge said he had no knowledge of any situation between Dakin and neighbours but was prepared to accept there may have been a degree of harassment or similar in the background.

“What you cannot do is to go out into the street with something that looks like a firearm,” said Recorder Hawks. “Nobody knows that it isn’t a real firearm. What can happen, as happened here, the (police) firearms unit are called out so a potentially lethal situation develops.

“That’s why any offence of this sort has to be dealt with by a custodial sentence.”

But in view of mitigation and background information submitted, a 12-month jail term was suspended for 18 months. Dakin must complete a rehabilitation requirement. “I’m prepared to accept you were at the end of your tether and behaved in a stupid and irresponsible way that was out of character for you,” added the judge.