Shropshire man threatened neighbour with replica gun during dispute, court told

Jonathan Harvey denies a charge of possessing an imitation firearm which lead another to fear for their life.

The 42-year-old appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday for the start of a two day trial before Mr Recorder Benjamin Nicholls.

The court heard that on October 30 last year, Harvey, of Grange Park, Albrighton, had gone to a house in Abney Avenue, Albrighton, looking for a man called Robert Sankey.

The week previously, Mr Sankey had been at a party at his grandmother's house which was next door to Harvey's.

During the evening a door was broken and an argument developed between the two men. Police were called and Mr Sankey was escorted home.

Alison Scott-Jones, prosecuting, said that on October 30, Mr Sankey was at home with his sisters Sophie and Louise, brother-in-law Chris Bellett and one-year-old nephew Cody at around 8pm when there was a knock at the door.

Sophie answered the door and a man was asking for Robert, who was upstairs in his bedroom.

He came down and there was a loud bang coming from the outside of the door.

Miss Scott-Jones added that Mr Bellett then saw a man standing at the living room window who then reached in to the waistband of his trousers and took out what appeared to be a silver pistol.

"Harvey began to use the gun to tap on window," said Miss Scott-Jones.

"He was not saying anything. Mr Bellett told Sophie to take Cody into the kitchen. Harvey went to the kitchen window, tapped on it with the gun and pointed at Mr Bellett and said: 'Me and you are ok', Mr Bellett approached the window and said 'there is no need for this'."

She added that Harvey then put the gun back down his trousers and walked off.

Police were called and Harvey was arrested and a search made of his home where a lighter, which looked like a silver Beretta, was found.

Harvey did not deny that he had been to the house but said he did not have such a lighter with him.

Mr Sankey was called as a witness and said that there had been a disagreement between himself and Harvey the week before when a party at his grandmother's house had turned 'rowdy'.

He said he was shocked and scared when Harvey arrived at his house with what appeared to be a gun.

"I went to talk to him and he said to me 'tell me what happened'. I closed the door and I heard him kick at it and he was shouting. I looked out of the window and I saw he had a gun. He was tapping the gun against the window. I could see the barrel and it was silver and was a hand gun," he added.

The trial continues.