Gun-threat clubber from Shrewsbury jailed for 18 months

Tomasz Szymanski held the Walther CP88 air pistol to Nathan Evans's temple outside the C21 nightclub in Abbey Foregate at around 3am on June 25 last year.

Moments earlier, he had also pointed the gun at the chest of Lee Osbourne, a weapons engineer, after taking the pistol to the club to 'impress people'.

Szymanski, 25, of Grosvenor Green, Harlescott Grange, Shrewsbury, and originally from Poland, was given an 18-month jail term at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday after admitted possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

The court heard Szymanski had found the gun around a month earlier and then ordered gas and pellets from the internet.

Shocked

Mr Evans had been out celebrating a friend's 18th birthday with his sister and were standing outside the C21 bar.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Mr Evans' sister shouted out that Szymanski had a gun, which was then held to the clubgoer's head.

"He was immediately shocked and scared. He couldn't speak he was so scared," said Mr Jones. Mr Evans managed to get away when a taxi pulled up and he and his friends begged the driver to let them in.

The incident came moments after Szymanski threatened another clubber, weapons engineer Lee Osbourne.

Mr Jones said Szymanski pulled out the gun and pointed at Mr Osbourne's chest, adding that even though he was a weapons engineer, he couldn't tell if the gun was real.

Szymanski was arrested on July 5 after CCTV footage led to him being identified. He told officers the gun was hidden in his garden in an Asda carrier bag.

Andrew Holland, representing Szymanski, said his client had been 'extremely drunk' at the time of the incident. "The best explanation he gave for his actions was he wanted 'to try and impress some people', Mr Holland said.

Mr Holland said Szymanski had been out of work and suffering from depression at the time of the incident.

Judge Peter Barrie said: "You took it with you in the hope you could use it to impress. You got so drunk you were unable to behave sensibly.

"When people get drunk and misbehave they can cause terrible damage with weapons of this kind."